The War of the Roses
by ZannaBQ
Summary: Schuldig gets caught by Ran but instead of killing Schu as Schu wanted him to Ran persuades him to help him against a dangerous villain one that makes even Schwarz look harmless. SchuxRan
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Their not mine, unfortunately. So don't sue.

**Warnings:** humor, some kind of silly, lemon (but censored to lime), uhm maybe language (not sure about that)

**Summary:** Schuldig gets caught by Ran - but instead of killing Schu (as Schu wanted him to) Ran persuades him to help him against a dangerous villain - one that makes even Schwarz look harmless. ;-)

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**Chapter 1**

Why did this kind of shit always happen to him? Schuldig stared over the railing of the bridge at the freeway under him. What crime had he done to deserve it? Yeah, sure, he was an assassin of Schwarz, but that could hardly be enough to justify such a cruel punishment! And to him of all people! He had always been so proud of it! And now this! How could this only happen? He had never really thought about it, had always took it for granted. Sure, he was young, and like every other youth he never thought that sometime something wouldn't function like it used to. And even if the thought had crossed his mind for seconds, he always had assumed that it would happen – if at all – many, many years in the future. When he would be old. And it wouldn't matter anyway. But not now!

Schuldig closed his eyes agonised and took another sip from the bottle. And it had happened all of a sudden. One day he was still able and the next day he wasn't. He clearly could remember the shock as nothing happened for the first time ever. First he couldn't believe that it wouldn't work. After all it never happened to him before. Never ever!

And then he had met that young man, had flirted with him, everything had been absolutely normal, but when it started to get serious and he tried to do it, he failed! He simply wasn't able to do it! And he really tried everything to make it happen. But nothing had helped. God, it had been so embarrassing! And that hadn't been the only time that it hadn't functioned. Later, when he had been alone in his room he had tried it again, but nothing had happened. He felt so terrible. What should he only do? Schuldig suppressed a sob.

'Realise it, Schuldig. Accept it. You are...' God, he couldn't even think the word!

Schuldig opened his eyes and stared down again. Since that horrible moment he had done nothing else than make himself drunk. To forget. But it didn't work, he hadn't forgotten anything. And just how could you forget anything like this anyway? That wasn't possible! He could impossibly go back to Schwarz like that. It was too embarrassing. And the others would surely notice something.

Brad was probably already guessing it, he had been looking weird at him, as if he knew that Schuldig was – only half a man. Schuldigs face burned at the idea that Brad had seen him in one of his visions, had seen how he tried to... Could there be anything more humiliating? Except if the other two would offer to help him with his problem. Farfarello's idea of help would probably include lots of knives, and to seek the help of an arrogant child like Nagi... He wasn't THAT desperate. Not yet.

Staggering Schuldig pushed of the railing and started to reel along the street. How much of that stuff had he drunk already? And just what was that stuff anyway? Schuldig couldn't remember were he had gotten the bottle. It tasted simply disgusting!

'If you drink too much of that shit it will probably kill you. But with my luck I'll only get blind by it. Great. That would fit. Then I'm not only an incapable but also a blind assassin. Just great.'

Schuldig staggered on. He didn't notice that he meanwhile was walking in the middle of the street. He noticed the honking cars and their cursing drivers but he didn't care. If one of them would furiously run him over, so what? It was of no use anyway. And at least his martyrdom would have an end. But unfortunately none of the car drivers wanted to do him the favour.

'Shit, then I have to think of a solution myself after all.' Deep in thoughts he murmured, "Perhaps if I... – no, too much trouble. Or I could... – no, that would be quite painful, wouldn't it? Better not. How about... – oh god no, that really would be too disgusting!"

Schuldig mumbled. Not one of his ideas was useful. Why couldn't he think of anything? He normally wasn't short on a good plan for murder. Maybe it was because of that cheap shit that he had been pouring into him for hours – or had it been days? Hadn't he somewhere heard that alcohol destroyed brain cells? Well, at least one of them who took care of his job! Schuldig grinned stupidly at the bottle.

Still giggling Schuldig raised his head to look around for the first time. Maybe his surroundings would offer a good opportunity that he could use. Surprised he realised how far he had come, being deep in thoughts. He was standing directly in front of the "Kitten in the House", the ridiculous flower shop that Weiß was using as disguise. As if Schwarz ever had been fooled by it! Schuldig snorted.

'I really wanna know who came up with this stupid name," he mused. 'Probably all of them. A vote with ballots, very democratic.' He could imagine it quite clearly.

Schuldig started again to giggle. And then he had a truly brilliant idea! Right, he would do it like that! That he hadn't immediately thought of it! It truly was a masterly plan! And so clean and simple! He would simple break into the Weiß HQ and he would be so clumsy that they would catch him in any case! And of course Weiß would kill him when they catch him, a Schwarz, breaking and entering their headquarters. At least that was what Schwarz would do if it was the other way round and therefore Weiß would act as well. It would only be logical! Highly satisfied with himself Schuldig rounded the building to search a window which he could use to enter.

* * *

Proudly Ran looked about the living room. He had really done a good job! The whole room beamed of tidiness, the furniture was polished, the carpet vacuum-cleaned and nowhere lay the scrawniest dust particle. He had also geometricaly adjusted the furniture, the TV was standing parallel to the coffee table and both armchairs were standing in a right angle to the sofa. Now everything had a system! It was truly unbelievable how inaccurate the others took everything. They didn't care if the armchairs were standing askew or the table got stains because nobody thought of using coaster! Ran had needed ages to remove the stains but now the surface was shining again.

Yoji, Ken and Omi were away for some days and therefore Ran had finally the time – and the opportunity– to thoroughly clean the house. And in every room too! Usually the others always threw him out if he wanted to clean their rooms. But now they couldn't detain him and after the three had left this afternoon Ran and his lock picks had set to work. As if he could be stopped by locked doors! Ran had made an exact time schedule and if he would be able to keep it he would have enough time to attend to his little project. First he had cleaned the ground floor and now he could clean upstairs.

Ran took his cleaning utensils and went upstairs. Which room should he take care of first? Ken's room surely needed it badly. But the last time he had entered Ken's room unarmed he had been attacked by something that looked alarmingly like Ken's old gym trousers.

'If Ken is going to only throw his clothes into the corners instead of washing them after playing soccer they're surely going to evolve intelligence sometime. And then it really could get dangerous. Although,' Ran smirked, 'it truly would be a change if at least some inhabitant of Ken's room would have intelligence.'

Still smirking Ran passed by Ken's room. Sure, it might be cowardly but he would venture into Ken's room only in the morning with bright daylight and not now in the late afternoon when it's getting dark already. After all he wanted to see what exactly attacked him! Ran decided to start with Omi's room.

Happily humming Ran got to work. He wiped dust, cleaned the windows, collected the laundry – after washing them he would check them to see if they needed patching – and since he already was at it he organised Omi's mangas and arranged them in alphabetical order into the rack. How could the boy only know which mangas he already owned and which not if he hadn't any system in his collection? Ran shook his head uncomprehending.

Suddenly his head came up. Did he hear something clang just now? Ran listened attentively but it seemed he had been mistaken. The noise came from outside probably. He adjusted the kerchief on his head and pulled the bed off the wall to remove the dust behind it as well. If he did something, he did it thoroughly! Ran was so lost in his work that he missed the rumbling first.

"Hey! Anybody there? I'm just breaking and entering! Hello!"

Ran was startled so violently he hit his head on Omi's bed. Damned! Did anybody just yell? Were the other Weiß already back? That early? Ran frowned. That couldn't be. Moreover, the voice didn't sound like the voices of Yoji, Ken and Omi. Ran didn't really know whose voice it was, but it sounded vaguely familiar – and definitely drunk. Ran went into the hall and opened his mouth to call downstairs when he heard things being thrown around and breaking to pieces in the living room.

That simply couldn't be! He just tidied the room! And wiped all the beautiful vases and put them into the cupboards! The clinking sounds got louder and Ran really became angry. The image of someone destroying the painstaking work of a whole day horrified him that much that he rushed down the stairs and into the living room without arming. He stopped abruptly.

The living room was a catastrophe. The table was overthrown, the cupboards opened and everywhere lay shards. Ran nearly cried when he saw it. He had really exerted himself to clean this room! Someone was going to pay for it! He looked round the room und discovered the destroyer at the bookshelf where he took one book after another out of the shelf, browsed the covers quickly and threw them over his shoulders on the floor.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Ran hadn't been that angry for a long time. "Stop it at once!"

The other one turned around and grinned drunkenly at him. "Oh, someone here after all."

Ran couldn't believe his eyes. There, across from him, in the middle of the Weiß headquarter stood a member of Schwarz and clung unsteady to the shelf. That couldn't be true. Schwarz couldn't simply break into their house and destroy everything! That was outrageous, that was… Ran was at a loss for words. That was not allowed! Right! And less than ever after he had taken great pains to clean everything! That meant war! Without thinking further he jumped at the Schwarz and hit him on the head with the feather duster which he was still holding in his hand.

To his astonishment the Schwarz didn't defend himself. And although the blow hadn't been that hard – after all, it was only a feather duster! – the Schwarz keeled over like a cut down tree. Ran stood in the middle of the havocked living room and stared at the unconscious Schwarz at his feet.

"Damned! And what am I going to do with him now?"

* * *

Schuldig slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he felt was a raving headache. He groaned. Perhaps he should cut back a little with the alcohol in the near future. It didn't help to forget and into the bargain he now had an enormous hangover too. The next thing he noticed was that he couldn't move. Strange. He had never heard that people got paralysed from a simple hangover. He tried again to move and now he felt ropes cutting into his wrists and ankles. Ah! So he wasn't paralysed but tied up!

Schuldig was relieved, tied up was always better than paralysed, wasn't it? Wait a sec! Tied up? Why was he tied up? Schuldig pondered over the question. What was the last thing he remembered? He had broken into the Weiß HQ, he still knew that. It hadn't been that difficult, he only had to brake a window on the ground floor, no problem at all. Then he entered. And from there his nice plan started to go wrong. Because nobody had been there! The headquarter was absolutely empty! He hadn't really been able to believe it! Those amateurs were all gone and had left their HQ unguarded!

This thought outraged Schuldig the second time just like it had the first time. So he had decided to spend the time valuable while waiting for the Weiß assassins. He had planned to trash the house a little bit to make them truly angry when they finally returned. But then it turned out that apparently not all Weiß were gone. The pretty, red-headed kitten was still there and had caught him wreaking havoc. Schuldig remembered everything now. The kitten had called something and Schuldig had turned around.

And then he had seen him. But what he had seen couldn't be true. That would be too kinky. Even for Weiß. Probably he had imagined everything. Right, it had been a hallucination! Others saw white mice or pink elephants when being drunk, and Schuldig saw…

'Right, definitely no more alcohol.' The consequences were too horrible. Anyway, shortly after that he must have lost consciousness. Or had he been knocked down? Schuldig wasn't sure, but one of that must have happened or he wouldn't lay tied up in the dark.

Schuldig frowned. It was really pretty dark in here. He must have been unconscious for a very long time. It had been afternoon when he entered the Weiß HQ and now it seemed to be in the middle of the night. Not even the moon gave some light. Or had the Weiß locked him up somewhere in the basement, without windows and light? Or worse, had he gone blind? Schuldig groaned horror-stricken. Had the alcohol after all…? He closed his eyes more tightly.

His eyes! That was the answer! Therefore it was that dark! He hadn't opened his eyes yet! Schuldig breathed a sigh of relieve, he wasn't blind after all. He blinked carefully to accustom to the bright lights and finally opened his eyes completely. Only to wish he had left them closed.

'Oh god, it wasn't an imagination!' In front of him stood the maniac for housework in person, properly dressed in an apron with small pink flowers and frills, matching kerchief and a big feather duster.

'I'm dead and in hell. Please, let it be hell!' Schuldig closed his eyes agonised. But it was too late. The image was already burned into his brain.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer & warnings:** see previous chapter

**A/N:** Argh, I noticed just yesterday that I accidentally uploaded the beta-version of the first chapter. I've replaced it with the correct version now. I'm really annoyed with myself - I'm getting old. I hope it wasn't too bothering reading the uncorrected chapter - my English is normally much better than that (I hope ). Anyway, have fun with the next chapter!

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**Chapter 2**

Ran still couldn't believe it. He had just knocked out a Schwarz, all by his own and only armed with a feather duster! Sure, he seemed to be pretty drunk – Ran could tell by his breath – but anyway! One really could be proud of it, couldn't one? Ran was very satisfied with himself by all means. But after he had professionally tied up the Schwarz Ran still didn't know what to do with his prisoner.

After all, it didn't happen every day to find a Schwarz in your living room. And in fact he never had thought about what he would do if he ever would catch one of them. Anyway, he had to find out what Mastermind wanted. At least it seemed as if he was conscious again. Although the Schwarz has closed his eyes again they had been open just moments ago. Ran didn't think that he had lost conscious in quick succession again.

"Hey, I know you're awake!" Ran kicked him with his foot.

The Schwarz opened his eyes again and stared open-mouthed and horror-stricken at Ran. To be exact, his gaze roamed over Ran's apron to his kerchief, his feather duster and back again.

Ran frowned. "What are you looking at?"

The other only shook his head.

"Spit it out!" Ran ordered.

"I only admire your… outfit," came the taunting answer.

"My outfit?" Ran looked down at himself. No, everything seemed to be alright, the apron wasn't torn or dirty. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's… pink…" came the weak reply.

Ran still didn't understand. "Your point?"

"It's pink… and it has frills!!!!" The answer wasn't as weak as before and had a clear appalled undertone. "Why is it pink? Bad enough that you're wearing something like that at all – and I have to see you wearing it too – but pink? Wasn't there anything in blue? Or green? Or grey? Or any other colour EXCEPT pink????"

Ran felt himself turning slightly red. He had chosen his cleaning outfit out of convenience and because this apron had a lot of big pockets where he could transport his cleaning utensils. He hadn't even noticed the colour when buying it. But now, as the Schwarz was looking at him taunting and at the same time horror-stricken he realised how the pink apron had to look like.

"And there are flowers!!!! Hundreds of little pink flowers!!! And frills!!!" The orange-head seemed not to be able to stop getting worked up over the apron.

"So what?" Ran hissed. "It's no concern of you what clothes I'm wearing while cleaning the house!"

"I nearly went blind at the sight of you so it IS of my concern!" called the German outraged. "Wait a sec, YOU are cleaning here? Really?" Now Mastermind was wearing a malicious grin. "You only get the truly important and dangerous tasks, don't you?" The grin grew wider and wider. "Or is it one of the special skills that a leader of Weiß needs to have?"

"I still don't know why it should regard you but I just wanted to use the fortunate chance for a spring-cleaning," Ran justified himself. That couldn't be true! Why was he forced onto the defensive now? He had to change that quickly.

"You're doing that voluntarily???" The jaw of the Schwarz dropped. "But… why???"

"Anyone has to clean sometime and I thought…" Ran closed his mouth. Damn! He was defending himself again! The Schwarz was totally confusing him. Right, it was the fault of the Schwarz! Perhaps he not even could read his thoughts but also project and manipulate them! That had to be the answer! But Ran had rumbled him! He would be twice as carefully from now on so that the Schwarz wouldn't have the opportunity to do it.

To confirm his decision – and because it gave him some satisfaction – he kicked the Schwarz again with his foot.

"Ow! What the hell?" he complained at once.

"Shut up. What do you want here, Schwarz?"

"Well, I only wanted to check your safety precautions. Sloppy, sloppy, I must say. And why is nobody here? That's not very professional!" The orange-head seemed to be really outraged over that fact. "That never could have happened at our HQ, nobody could simply enter it! You even don't have an alarm device! I could simply walk right into the house and nobody stopped me!"

The alarm device! Damn, he knew he had forgotten something. Ran turned red again. He had turned off the alarm to clean the windows and forgot to activate it afterwards. But that could happen to anyone, couldn't it? But what was the meaning of all of that nagging? The Schwarz was lying tied up on the floor – after Ran had overpowered him – and complained that it had been too easy to enter the house! Sure, the German reeked of alcohol, but he hadn't come across THAT drunken!

"In case you hadn't noticed yet, I stopped you very well! I knocked you down and tied you up! Don't you remember?" Ran spoke very slowly and clearly so that the drunken Schwarz would really understand him.

"Of course I remember. I'm not stupid. But that doesn't count. You had been fighting with unfair and illegal methods! I mean, who wouldn't have fainted at your sight?"

Now Mastermind was grinning maliciously again. Ran tore angrily his kerchief down. That wouldn't lead to any results. He would have to sober up the Schwarz first so that he could comprehend the gravity of his situation! And as soon as the Schwarz would comprehend just what situation he was in – and Ran would finally know what to do with his captive – the Schwarz would stop grinning like that! And then Ran would find out why the Schwarz had broken into their house. But not today.

Ran sighed. 'I think I can forget about my time schedule right now.'

* * *

Schuldig enjoyed himself splendidly. His comments about the pink cleaning outfit seemed to cut the Weiß to the quick. And he had also torn down his kerchief! That got better and better!

"Well, now I know at least why you were wearing a kerchief. Your hair-colour bites awful with the pink apron!" When Schuldig gathered momentum then he was barely to stop.

'It's simply too funny to annoy the red kitten,' he thought. He had noticed that fact earlier but now, after he had caught him in such an embarrassing condition it was just twice as funny.

"Let me guess – the others fled out of fear when they saw you, didn't they?" Schuldig provoked the Weiß further.

"They did not!" snapped the red-head angry. "Yoji, Ken and Omi are attending the EBOLA!"

Schuldig tore his eyes open. "The WHAT? EBOLA? Just what is that?"

"The EBOLA. The Exhibition for Botanical Ornamentation and Living Aesthetics."

"There is such a thing? And you're actually attending it?" Schuldig had to giggle again. Only Weiß could work themselves up into their disguise!

"Of course we're attending it! We're attending every exhibition, conference and show concerning the floristic business! We have to to stand our ground in the merciless competition of the floristic trade."

The merciless competition of the floristic trade? Had Schuldig understood that correctly? Merciless? Competition?? Of the floristic trade???

"You wanna twit me? Just how merciless could the competition be for a florist? You spray yourself with pesticides? Or throw flowers at each other till you bleed?" Schuldig had to laugh at that image.

But Abyssinian only answered patronising, "You have just no idea! They pull no punches in the floristic trade, it's really relaxing if we only have to fight against Schwarz."

Come again, what??? Relaxing? It was RELAXING for Weiß to fight Schwarz? That was outrageous! How could that Weiß only say something that – something that mean? Schuldig felt deeply hurt.

"Oh excuse me please that we don't offer enough challenge! Next time we'll think at it and instead of only fighting you we'll also tore out the petals of your flowers so that you can see we really mean business! If we hadn't held back when dealing with you we would have made fertilizer of you ages ago!" he spat at the Japanese.

But Ran only looked pitying at him. "Don't take it to heart, Schwarz, it's nothing personal. But the other florists are truly hardboiled pros."

Schuldig looked unbelieving at him. The Weiß was actually serious! But that couldn't be! After all, they were speaking of people who sell flowers, for crying out loud! How dangerous could that be, particularly in comparison to the dangerous assassins of Schwarz? Certainly the kitten was exaggeration shameless.

'Or Abyssinian had inhaled too much of his cleaning agent,' Schuldig mused sneering. 'Best I simply agree to everything, no matter how absurd it sounds.'

"If you say so," he placated the Weiß.

But he only looked with slit eyes at him. "Stop that patronising behaviour, Schwarz. You don't believe me, alright. It doesn't matter if you believe me anything or not. You are my prisoner and I show the ropes to you. And that's momentarily the only thing that counts!"

Huh, the kitten had claws!

"I haven't noticed too much of that yet," Schuldig couldn't deny himself.

"You don't seem to comprehend the gravity of your situation. But what can I expect from a drunk as hell Schwarz!" With these words Abyssinian turned around to leave the room.

Hey! The kitten wanted to leave? And let him lying in this mayhem, alone, tied up and helpless? Perhaps even the whole night? Oh no, not with him! Schuldig wouldn't put up with that!

"Hey, where are you going, kitten?" Hah, THAT had stopped the Weiß in the middle of his movement!

Slowly he turned around. "How did you call me right now?" he asked unbelieving.

Schuldig grinned impishly at him. "Kitten," he answered.

The Japanese narrowed his eyes to dangerous little slits. "Stop it!" he hissed threatening.

"Why? Don't you like the name? It suits you so well. And sounds good too. Kitten. Kitten," Schuldig let the word melt on his tongue.

"Stop. It. At. Once."

Uh-oh, the Weiß was really angry! His hands were formed into fists and he pressed every word out of clenched teeth.

Schuldig shortly pretended to really think that over. "No, I don't think I'm stopping it," he said at last with a wicked grin. "Kitten, come here. Kitty, kitty, ki…"

With an furious snarl the Weiß lunged at Schuldig.

Uh-oh, he seemed to have pushed it a little bit too hard! Hastily Schuldig tried to seek shelter. But unfortunately he had totally forgotten that he was still tied up and therefore he only could roll sideways – in the middle of a pile of shards.

"Ouch, ouch, ow, ow, ow!" Schuldig cried.

That stopped the Weiß. With crossed arms he positioned himself in front of Schuldig and looked mischievous down at him.

Schuldig didn't think it that funny. "Don't stand simply there like that and grin like a moron! Help me up!"

But the red-head didn't move. "Why should I?" he asked smugly.

"Why? Because I'm injured! Oh my god, I even bleed!" Schuldig noticed the cuts and paled. "Do you perhaps want me to bleed to death?"

The Weiß seemed to seriously ponder that possibility.

"You possibly couldn't intend it!" Schuldig gasped panic-stricken.

"No, probably not," the other sighed and started to lift Schuldig up.

* * *

Kitten! The Schwarz had called him Kitten! Ran still snorted inwardly as he helped his prisoner up. And what a fuss he put up because of those few cuts! They were barely scratches and Mastermind whined as if he would die from blood-loss the next moment.

'Mastermind, oh yes, THAT name really applied to him,' Ran thought sneering. But he really couldn't let him lie in the living room. Firstly, there was a too great mess and the Schwarz could actually hurt himself seriously – or worse, free himself of his ties! Secondly, the orange-head would only bleed on the carpet and blood was so awfully hard to remove! And thirdly, Ran wanted to have him near to keep an eye on him. You couldn't trust a Schwarz, not even if he was tied up.

So he loosened the ties on the feet of his prisoner and pushed him ahead, up the stairs and into his room. There he sat him down on the bed and went into the bathroom to fetch a clean towel and some band-aid. While searching the cupboards his gaze locked on the box with band-aid for kids that Ken used – only because of his sensitive skin as he always claimed.

With a devilish little smile Ran took the band-aid for kids and went back into his room. The Schwarz had stopped whining meanwhile.

'Ah, he seems to have recovered from his terrible injuries,' Ran thought sneering and sat down beside the orange-head. He tended carefully to the scratches and immediately the other started to whine again.

"Ouch, ow, that hurts! Can't you be a little bit more carefully?"

Ran rolled his eyes. "For an oh so dangerous killer you are awfully snivelling," he stated while accurately applying one band-aid with pictures of animals after another.

"Finished. I think you have been lucky. Looks like you will survive the enormous blood-loss after all." Ran simply couldn't deny himself that sneering comment.

But the Schwarz didn't look quite as aggressive as a short time ago, he only mumbled quietly. Ran couldn't understand anything more than "… not snivelling at all… hurts like hell…"

He stood up to bring back the towel. At his return the orange-head looked curiously around the room.

"Nice room. Yours?" he asked. After Ran nodded affirmative a grin crept onto the face of the Schwarz. "No pink flowers, no frills? I'm really disappointed, kitten!"

There! He had done it once more! Ran wanted to strangle him. "I already told you not to call me that! If you have to call me anything, then call me by my name, Schwarz! I have one! My name is Ran."

"So what? You always call me simply 'Schwarz' too!"

Ran took a deep breath. "Alright. Can we agree on using our names from now on?" he asked as calm as possible.

The Schwarz hesitated. "Very well then. For all I care," he finally grudgingly gave in. "My name is Schuldig."

Schuldig? What was that for a name? Was it EVEN a name? But Ran decided not to say anything in that matter, now when they finally had reached some kind of truce.

"But don't reproach me if I slip a 'kitten' now and then. I'm simply more used to it than to 'Ran'." Schuldig looked demonstratively innocent at him.

Maybe Ran would strangle him after all. At least a little bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings & disclaimer:** see chapter 1

**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews! I'm addicted to them so give me moooooore! ;-) Anyway, hope you'll like this chapter too. The next two chapters are much longer than the first ones, so it may take a little bit more time to translate them, but I promise I will translate them!

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**Chapter 3**

Schuldig yawned. As exciting the exchange of blows with his kitten – sorry, Ran – had been, he was slowly getting tired. But after all, he had had some hard days during which he had hardly slept – not to mention the scads of alcohol. No wonder, the depressing fact that he wasn't fully functional any more – gods, he really hadn't been thinking about that for hours! The sight of Ran had made him forget everything else.

'That's quite understandable,' Schuldig thought with an amused glance at the Japanese man with the pink apron who was still standing at the door. And then their cross-talks! Ran had kept him quite busy, as Schuldig had to admit. That didn't happen too often, normally he could talk everyone, really everyone, down to the floor with his biting comments.

But not the Weiß leader, oh no! He had kept his tail up, although he had been clearly disadvantaged by his pink clothes. Schuldig liked that. He had always thought the red-headed Weiß to be attractive, but who could have guessed that his kitten hadn't only a pretty but also a clever head on his shoulders? When they had met earlier on missions Ran had always been absolutely ice-cold, apart from the Elan he always showed when fighting with his sword – no sign of the spirit with what he had reacted to Schuldig today!

'I like him even more if he is like that,' Schuldig thought. 'I wonder how he's in bed? Would surely be interesting to find out...' frustrated Schuldig shook his head. Damn! He had again for some seconds forgotten that he had this little problem in that matter. Fortunately he was too tired right now to further think about it anyway. Schuldig only wanted to sleep now. He yawned again.

"Tired?" Ran asked from the door.

"Hm," Schuldig murmured, "I'm totally worn out. But if you're thinking that I'm gonna stand up and follow you into the dungeon cell that you meant for me like a good little prisoner then just think again. I think I'll sleep right here." With these words Schuldig fell down back on Ran's bed.

'Hah, I wonder how he's gonna react on that. If he's gonna carrying me?' Schuldig liked that thought very much. How would it be to be carried by his kitten?

"Oh no, you're not going into a dungeon cell. You'll sleep right here."

Oh good, then he wouldn't have to get up at least. Wait a sec. Sleep right here? Ran wanted him to sleep right here? In Ran's room?? Perhaps in Ran's bed??? Maybe even together with Ran????

That thought awoke Schuldig again. Expectantly he sat up. Ran really didn't seem to hesitate if he wanted something, did he? But where was Ran actually? He had been in this room just a moment ago. Schuldig frowned and looked around. He possibly hadn't fallen asleep earlier and had only dreamed Ran's last sentence? Apparently not, because he could hear someone going up the stairs and nearing the room.

"There you are. I already thought..." Schuldig greeted Japanese – and stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw the ropes in Ran's hand.

'Uh, bondage games...' Schuldig thought when his gaze landed on his tied up hands. Oh, right, he was Ran's prisoner. He had totally forgotten about that little detail. The Weiß was simply too nice to him. He didn't treat him like a captured enemy. Ran had even tended to his cuts and covered them cleanly with band-aid.

Schuldig frowned. Something wasn't right with the band-aid. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at it. But... there were... giraffes on it! And elephants! Tigers! And there, that was an ape! Schuldig tore his eyes wide open. That was band-aid for kids!!! Ran had covered him with band-aid for kids! That sneaky bastard! Under the pretence of wanting to help Schuldig he had secretly disfigured him! And thought it to be awfully funny and laughed off his head about it!

Schuldig opened his mouth to complain about it when his gaze landed again on the band-aid. The corner of his mouth started to twitch. Actually, it was kind of funny after all. Alone the idea of a professional killer – no difference if Weiß or Schwarz – walking around with band-aid for kids! Schuldig decided to not grudge Ran that little victory – as he had slated him more than enough because of the pink apron today. Besides, he had more important things to think of right now. For example, what Ran had meant when he had said that Schuldig would sleep here. Or what he needed the ropes for.

'Well, I'm surely going to find out,' Schuldig thought, because Ran had stepped to the bed meanwhile. In his hand he still held the ropes he had fetched from downstairs.

"Move a little bit higher," he ordered Schuldig.

"Why?" Schuldig asked and fluttered his eyelashes.

"So that I can tie you to the bed," was the answer.

"But Ran, darling, we don't know each other well enough for something like that!" Schuldig piped with a grin. "That's going way too fast for me! I'm not the kind of guy who does bondage right away on his first date!"

Ran sighed. "Stop that nonsense at once and lift your hands." Quickly and skilfully he tied Schuldig's hands at the head of the bed so that he would be able to move while sleeping but couldn't free himself.

"Who would have thought that the normally oh so good leader of Weiß is into bondage? Still waters run truly deep apparently," Schuldig was still grinning from ear to ear.

But Ran only said, "Your attempts to provoke me are futile. You're sleeping here so that I can watch you," and left the room.

"Hey, don't I get a blanket?" Schuldig called after him. No answer. Therefore no blanket. But at least he had kept the last word.

* * *

Still shaking his head Ran went downstairs. Somehow everything went totally wrong. A prisoner shouldn't behave like that. He should be more fearful. And not so recalcitrant. More like a prisoner, exactly. And definitely not like Schuldig. Schuldig with his big mouth, who even seemed to enjoy the whole situation! Ran hoped that behaviour was the fault of the alcohol, but he feared that Schuldig wouldn't be less pertly when being sober.

'I'm going to suffer tomorrow, I just know it,' he sighed and stopped at the door to the living room. He actually had wanted to clean everything up so that he wouldn't be too much behind his schedule, but somehow he hadn't quite the energy left to do it. When Schuldig had started to yawn Ran had noticed just how tired he was too. But he didn't want to go to sleep as long as his prisoner was still awake.

Because Schuldig never seemed able to hold his tongue, and after his remarks about the bondage earlier Ran really didn't feel like listening to the comments he would get when he lay down beside him on the bed. What was all that fuss about anyway? The bed was two metres wide, big enough for two people to sleep in it without ever touching each other, particularly if one of them was tied up anyway. And it was truly the simplest way to keep an eye on the Schwarz.

Ran would simply wait downstairs till the German had fallen asleep and only then he would also go to sleep. He surly wouldn't have to wait too long, the Schwarz needed to sleep off his intoxication after all. Ran listened upstairs. Silence. Had Schuldig already fallen asleep? He would simply risk it and take a look. He turned off the lights on the ground floor, turned the alarm device on and silently went upstairs. It was still silent there.

Carefully he sneaked to his room. Thank god the orange-head was fast asleep. Ran breathed again and went inside. He stopped at the bed and looked down at the sleeping Schuldig. How peaceful and relaxed he appeared! No one would suspect a killer of Schwarz behind that pretty face.

'He's really pretty handsome,' Ran thought while his gaze roamed over Schuldig's sleeping form. 'Nice chest, nice ass… - damn, get a grip on yourself, Ran!' he immediately called himself to order. 'He is your enemy, your prisoner, it doesn't matter how well-built he is!'

With this thought he forced himself away from Schuldig's sight and turned away. He disrobed his apron and started to remove his clothes too when he paused. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea for Schuldig to find him half-naked in bed beside him. He could, no he would get it wrong. Ran sighed. He would simply sleep fully dressed.

'The heck with it,' he thought and sprawled on the free side of the bed, 'I've already slept more uncomfortable.'

--

Slowly Ran woke up. Hm, he hadn't been sleeping that comfortable for a long time! Smiling he nestled with closed eyes closer to his bedfellow. And wasn't it simply marvellous to wake up in the morning and not to be alone in bed? To have someone to cuddle against? Ran liked it very much, in fact he wanted to stay like this forever.

'Apparently not everything of me thinks like that,' he thought amused when he noticed his morning-erection. Well, that was quite understandable, after all he was nestled to this soft, warm body, who wouldn't react like that?

It had simply been too long that he had woken up with someone. He wanted to enjoy that delicious feeling as long as possible. It had been so long that he even didn't remember the name of his last bed-mate. But that was unimportant as long as he knew the name of the current one and it was…

Ran tore his eyes wide open. 'AAAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!' he thought. 'Please, don't let it be true! No, no, no! I'm not pressed against Schuldig with an erection as if we're lovers!' Yes, he was. Oh damned! How could that have happened? And how could he look Schuldig in the eye ever again? He would pick on Ran with it for the rest of their lives!

But maybe Ran was lucky and Schuldig was still sleeping! 'Yeah sure, and pigs can fly!' Ran thought hopelessly. Well, he couldn't change it, he had to face the mockery now. Carefully he lifted his head to look into Schuldig's face. 'Please, please, please…' he silently prayed.

Schuldig was still sleeping. Ran drooped his head relieved on Schuldig's chest. 'Uff!' he thought. Schuldig hadn't noticed anything. Ran had gotten away. For a moment he was so glad that he didn't move and kept on lying there. Then he tore his eyes open again. Damned, how could he forget? A Second ago he had feared for Schuldig to catch him and now he again wasn't moving away from him!

Hastily Ran detached himself from Schuldig and crawled out of the bed. Hah, now he was safe! He had left the bed and Schuldig had slept through the whole episode and would never ever learn about it. At that moment Ran remembered. Schuldig was able to read thoughts! And as soon as he would wake up he could see quite clearly in Ran's thoughts how they had been sleeping! Oh no!

'Calm down, Ran, just keep calm,' Ran tried to ease himself, 'all you have to do is not think about it. Then Schuldig can't find out about it! Quite simply!' Right, he would do it like that. Not think about it. Not think about it. Damned! It didn't work! He couldn't think about anything else!

Ran closed his eyes and breathed deep. Just not hyperventilate! He had to keep calm. He would get a grip on it. After all, he was Abyssinian, the leader of Weiß! And if he decided to do something then it worked out too! Somehow calmed down Ran opened his eyes again. Alright. He had managed it. His gaze fell on the apron that he had carelessly thrown over a chair the evening before. Right, he had tasks to fulfil. He had to clean the living room – again. And the rooms of Yoji and Ken.

He reached out to grab the apron, then paused. Should he really wear it again? After Schuldig had made so much fun about it yesterday? Perhaps he should leave it out to give the Schwarz no more reasons to mock him. Wait a sec. What was he thinking? He wouldn't let a captured Schwarz dictate what he had to wear and what not! This was the headquarters of Weiß, and if he, Ran Fujimiya, wanted to wear a pink apron then, goddammit, he would do so!

He grabbed the apron and fetched clean clothes out of his wardrobe when Schuldig stirred in his sleep. Ran jumped startled and turned around. Had he woken Schuldig? Could he read Ran's thoughts even in sleep?? Did' he even know it at the end??? Ran felt panic rose inside him, he couldn't think clearly, and when Schuldig again moved in his sleep, Ran stormed out of his room. He desperately needed a cold shower quite now!

* * *

Schuldig sighed. He was bored. He had had some quite nice dreams, with his kitten as main character, therefore he had been really disappointed when he had woken up this morning all alone. He had had to call for some time before Ran even appeared to untie him so that he could go to the bathroom. After that he had gotten breakfast – mainly some Aspirin – and afterwards he had been tied to a chair in the living room. At the beginning it had been ok, because Ran had also been in the living room, cleaning the chaos of the previous day – still wearing that darned pink apron!

Besides, Schuldig had gotten more than one good look – Ran bending down to lift something up or straining his muscles to shove the furniture! All things considered, it was very entertaining. Then Schuldig had made one or another innocent remark about the apron – ok, it had been a lot of quite bitchy comments – but Ran had barely or nothing at all reacted to them. He only had cast sneaking glances at Schuldig and then had blushed without cause.

Schuldig had been able to make nothing of it. Even for a Weiß it had been a real strange behaviour. And Schuldig's helpful advices for overlooked shards and dirt hadn't helped very much. Suddenly Ran simply had stormed out of the room although he hadn't finished cleaning the room yet. The sofa was still standing in the middle of the room, Ran hadn't pushed it back against the wall before he fled. Really very, very strange.

And therefore Schuldig had been all alone in the room for quite some time. Every now and then he could hear Ran move around in the upper floor – just some minutes ago he thought he could hear the shower – but that wasn't really entertaining. He sighed again. He was soooooo bored. Bored, bored, boooooored! He should do something against it. Schuldig joggled tryingly the armrest of his chair where his hands were tied to, but to no use. Ran's knots were solid, and it seemed to be a real robust chair.

Schuldig fidgeted a little bit. If Ran hadn't at least tied his legs to the chair legs too! He couldn't move at all like that! Perhaps if he… If he tried to jump up and down with the chair, maybe the chair would break down! It was worth a try. And he hadn't something better to do anyway. Schuldig jerked and the chair jumped circa a centimetre. A beginning after all, but that had to get definitely higher. Schuldig put more power in it and jumped up and down with the chair. But the chair didn't break. A really very robust chair.

Well, he couldn't break the chair, but it looked like he could bounce around the room with it. And maybe he would make enough noise so that his kitten would come down and play with him again! The thought cheered Schuldig up and he hopped towards the door. And to prevent Ran from leaving again, Schuldig wouldn't even make comments about that terrible pink apron. And if he was honest, he had to admit that he now thought it to be quite cute. His kitten looked sexy with it. Quite adorable.

Schuldig widened his eyes. Cute? He thought the pink apron was cute? 'Snap out of it, Schuldig!' he thought startled. He simply couldn't have still that much alcohol left in his blood that he could like that – that thing! And since when did he think about Ran as 'his' kitten? Something was terribly wrong, after all they were still enemies, weren't they? Weren't they? But Ran hadn't appeared like his enemy, neither when he knocked him down with his feather duster nor when he had tied him to the bed. More like a good friend with whom he scuffled around a little bit. He really should think about it more exactly.

Schuldig was that lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the noise at first. Only after Ran called down to him, "For God's sake, Schuldig, if you're breaking stuff down there again I'll strangle you at once!" he listened up.

"I'm not breaking anything at all, I've been utterly good the whole time!" he complained at once, but then he heard the sounds of breaking glass too.

"If it's not you, who…?" With a cry Ran stopped in the middle of his sentence and Schuldig could see through the open door Ran storming down the stairs only clad in a towel and armed with his Katana. He disappeared in the back of the house.

"Hey, what's going on?" Schuldig called after him. "Where are you going? And why are you wearing only a towel?"

But Ran didn't answer him and shortly after he hear the first sounds of a fight. There was someone in the back part of the house! Schuldig hopped closer to the door to get a better look. Could that already be Schwarz who had come to rescue him? Had they missed him already? He only had dimly uttered where he went when he had left the Schwarz HQ two, three days ago. He had only muttered that he was going to get something to drink before he had fled, but the others should knew him good enough to know that it could take a whole week when he was 'getting something to drink'. They wouldn't worry about him quite now. Therefore rather not someone of Schwarz. It had to be someone else, and they were fighting with Ran! Damned, if he only wasn't tied up! A short fight would simply hit the spot right now! And at the same time he could help Ran too!

Suddenly a door was torn open and three dark clad figures ran down the hall, directly towards Schuldig. Oh-oh, that wasn't good! The three men were quite big and well-build, and moreover, they were armed! Perhaps Schuldig should seek shelter! With this thoughts Schuldig started to frantically bounce through the room in search of a safe hiding-place. But where could they go, he and his chair?

Shots sounded and the three burglars stormed, followed by Ran, into the living room, where they kept on shooting wildly around. That was really not good! Hide, Schuldig had to desperately hide! The sofa! What a luck that Ran hadn't pushed it back against the wall earlier, now Schuldig could hide behind it! Hastily he hopped behind the sofa, became unbalanced and tipped over. There he lay, like a turtle on the back, his legs stretched up and couldn't move any longer.

'Well, at least I'm not bored any more,' he thought.

* * *

'Crap!' Ran hit his fist frustrated into the pillow that he had been fluffing. Somehow nothing went as it should. He should be downstairs right now and keep an eye on Schuldig so that he couldn't do something stupid. Instead he was up here and tidied the rooms. As if, actually he was only pretending to tidy. Because he simply couldn't concentrate. Constantly Ran could see the position they both had been when he had woken up this morning. He had twined his arms around Schuldig and nestled to him as if they were lovers, for God's sake! And he had been bloody aroused!!! How could that have happened?

And to make it even worse, he kept imagining how it would be if he and Schuldig wouldn't be enemies but really lovers! No wonder he was totally worn down by now.

This thoughts had also been the reason why Ran was upstairs now. He had really made an effort, had again and again tried to suppress those thought so that Schuldig wouldn't notice them, but they consistently had crept in. He had waited with panic for Schuldig to make bitchy comments about – The Matter – but nothing happened. So Ran had gotten more and more nervous. Why didn't Schuldig say anything? Not that he had been silent, far from it. He had been talking incessantly. Just not about – IT! That couldn't be normal! It had to be an exceedingly dastard method of torture!

Eventually Ran hadn't been able to stand it any longer and had fled enervated. He didn't believe that the distance was big enough so that Schuldig couldn't read his thoughts any more, but here he hadn't to look at the orange-head all the time. One point less that could give him silly ideas. Although he apparently didn't need to see Schuldig to imagine how it would be if they… Damned! He had to do something against it! He would take a cold shower.

The shower didn't help very much and Ran left the shower again. While he wrapped himself into a towel he could hear something breaking downstairs. 'Not again,' he sighed. He couldn't even leave Schuldig on his own for ten minutes! Enervated he went to the stair-rail and bend over it.

"For God's sake, Schuldig, if you're breaking stuff down there again I'll strangle you at once!" he called down.

"I'm not breaking anything at all, I've been utterly good the whole time!" came the quick answer.

It wasn't Schuldig? But who could it be then?

"If it's not you, who…?" Ran started to call when he noticed that the noise didn't come from the living room. No, it came from the back part of the house where his laboratory was located. His project! Ran kept his project in the laboratory on which he had been working for so long! With an outcry he stormed into his room, grabbed his Katana and raced downstairs.

"Hey, what's going on? Where are you going? And why are you wearing only a towel?" Ran could hear Schuldig calling but he didn't stop to answer the Schwarz but directly ran into the laboratory.

Just like he had feared three dark clad figures were just stealing his prototype! With a scream he lunged at the burglars. But the three men were truly strong opponents – and in addition Ran had to hold the towel with one hand – and while two of them were busy fighting with Ran the third bagged unhurriedly the project. When he was finished he gave the other two a short order and all three of them stormed out of the laboratory towards the living room.

Desperately Ran followed them. He had to prevent the three men escaping with his baby! But the burglars were really determined and armed and now one of them was drawing a gun and started to wildly shoot around. Although Ran tried really everything they succeeded to escape through the back-door in the kitchen after a short shooting in the living room. They raced to the street where a car was already waiting for them. Ran could only stare after the dust cloud.

'Damn, damn, damn!' he cursed silently. They had escaped! They had escaped and they had taken his little darling with them! Distressed Ran returned into the house when he remembered something. Schuldig! He had totally forgotten about Schuldig during the shooting!

Appalled he raced back into the living room. What if something had happened to him? Hastily Ran looked around but he couldn't see Schuldig anywhere. But that wasn't possible, was it? Where could he have gone? Ran opened his mouth to call for him when he got a horrid thought. Had the three burglars perhaps kidnapped him?

"Schuldig!" he called horrified, hoping he was mistaken. No answer. Just when Ran tried to come to terms with the idea that Schuldig actually wasn't here any more, Schuldig's voice sounded behind the sofa.

"Did we win?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** The War of the Roses  
**Author:** Zanna  
**Disclaimer & warnings:** see chapter 1  
**Beta:** Laren

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* * *

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**Chapter 4**

Schuldig was really glad to see Ran's face appearing above the sofa. He had been lying there for five minutes at least and couldn't see anything besides the ceiling of the living room. He even hadn't caught how Ran had come through the fight therefore he had been extremely relieved when he had heard Ran's voice.

"How did you get here?" Ran asked absolutely surprised.

Schuldig grinned. "Scotty beamed me up, what else. But somehow I can't get up again." He demonstratively wiggled a little bit. "You have to help me up."

Ran rounded the sofa and Schuldig's eyes nearly dropped out of his head. He had seen correct earlier, Ran was wearing only a towel! And a small one too! And WOW did he look great! Lean, but with well defined muscles anyhow. And that skin! Like the most delicate peace of porcelain! Schuldig had to swallow. Suddenly his mouth was absolutely dry and he was feeling awfully hot.

He hardly noticed how Ran lifted up the chair with him sitting in it, because the towel was only mere centimetres in front of his face at that time. He closed his eyes overwhelmed and swallowed again. Even clothed Ran looked good enough to eat, but without his clothes... Schuldig was out of words.

"Schuldig! Are you alright? Say something!"

Schuldig opened his eyes again and wanted to answer that he was alright and Ran needn't to worry about him when his gaze fell on the towel once again. Hadn't it been two millimetres higher just seconds ago? Was it perhaps slipping down? Hypnotised Schuldig stared at the towel; he didn't want to miss a single millimetre of skin that might possibly show itself.

"Oh no, Schuldig! You're injured! You're bleeding! How did that happen?"

There, the towel had slipped half a centimetre! Schuldig moistened his dry lips. Soon, soon, only a few more centimetres and the towel would completely drop down from Ran's hips!

"Schuldig! Schuldig!"

Schuldig noticed a hand waving in front of his face. With force he tore his gaze away from the slipping towel and looked into Ran's face.

"What?" he asked completely absent-minded.

"You're injured, Schuldig. I have to untie you and attend to your injury! Does it hurt very much?" Ran's concerned voice seemed to come from far away.

"Yes thank you." Schuldig's lowered his gaze to the towel again. A centimetre! He had missed a whole centimetre! And the knot! It was opening! Slowly, really slowly on of the ends of the towel was slipping out of the knot! Hypnotised and without blinking Schuldig stared at the towel. Soon he would know if Ran was a true redhead! He couldn't miss a single second now!

Suddenly Ran stepped back and hastily grabbed for the slipping towel. Damn! Just a second longer and Schuldig wouldn't have been limited on guessing any more! He wouldn't get such a good opportunity that soon again. How mean of Ran! Sighing Schuldig raised his gaze and looked into Ran's beet-red face.

"I, I... I just took a shower when the burglars came and didn't have any time to..." Ran stammered and actually blushed even more.

Amused Schuldig only raised his eyebrow. "I'm not bothered by it the slightest bit," he drawled and let his gaze roam over Ran's body, "you can wander around like that the whole time." Ran took another step back and swallowed noticeable. Then he turned around and fled the room.

"Hey, don't you run away again!" Schuldig called after him. Damn, that was becoming a habit. Just when it was getting interesting Ran was running away. 'Could it be because of me?' Schuldig mused. But then he discarded that thought again. Why should it be because of him, he hadn't done anything – and how could he when he was tied up like that?

Schuldig sighed again. He hoped Ran would return soon, it was getting really uncomfortable on this chair. And his left arm hurt like hell. Apparently he had injured it during his fall. He looked down at his arm and gasped appalled. There was blood! A lot of blood! Damn, that lunatic with the gun had hit him!

"Ran!" Schuldig cried. How could the Japanese man only run away now? Hadn't he noticed that Schuldig was injured? At least Ran could have untied him! Outraged about the lack of attention the Weiß was showing him Schuldig took a deep breath and shouted again for Ran. A moment later Ran reappeared, this time fully clothed and a first-aid-kit under his arm.

"I'm bleeding," Schuldig called reproachfully.

"I know," Ran answered, untied him and helped him into the kitchen afterwards. There he sat Schuldig down at the table. Carefully he washed away the blood and Schuldig could see that the bullet had only grazed him.

"It's not so bad like I thought, what a luck," Ran said and opened the firs-aid-kit.

Schuldig cast him a sharp look. "No band-aid for kids," he warned the Weiß.

Ran glanced amused at him. "Oh, so you noticed them?"

Schuldig only snorted, but didn't want to deepen the topic. "Do you have a clue who those guys were and what they wanted?" he changed the subject.

Ran hesitated a moment, then he said, "That were Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion."

Schuldig's eyes widened. Excuse me? Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion? "Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion?" he repeated aloud. "You wanna make fun of me?"

Ran only shook his head. "Of course those are not their real names. No one knows their real names. Those are their aliases. They are doing the dirty work for Gänseblümchen." (1)

Gänseblümchen. Right, why hadn't Schuldig thought about that himself? He cleared his throat. "Ok," he carefully said, "and Gänseblümchen is...?"

"Gänseblümchen is the owner of FlowerPower, the biggest chain of florist-shops in Japan. He is rich, highly respectable and absolutely unscrupulous if he wants to own something. Our flower-shop seemed to be a thorn in Gänseblümchen's side for some time now because we drew off a lot of the young customers from his shops and he has been trying to damage us somehow for some time now."

Schuldig laid down his head on the table and closed his eyes. FlowerPower. Gänseblümchen. Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion. He had to be in the wrong movie. On the other hand, it fitted Weiß just like a glove. Ran tore ruggedly at his arm and Schuldig startled. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Then stop squirming." Ran winded gaze around Schuldig's arm concentrated.

Schuldig looked at him. Perhaps Ran had really inhaled too much of his cleaning agent? "You're really serious, aren't you?"

Ran looked up surprised. "Of course I'm serious! I wouldn't make fun about such an important topic!"

Schuldig was still shaking his head bewildered. Gänseblümchen. Oh yeah, that name really frightened the enemies! 'Maybe I should change my name from Mastermind to Snowdrop,' he mused sarcastically, 'maybe then Weiß would take me serious.' He had to snicker at that thought.

Ran looked sharply at him. "Why are you laughing? Do really think that's funny? We can be lucky that Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion had been satisfied with only taking what they had wanted and hadn't killed us on top of it too. But maybe you're happy about something different altogether! You still haven't told me why you're here after all. Maybe you are working with those three and are happy now that everything has worked so well!"

* * *

Ran looked suspiciously at Schuldig. "Why else did you let me catch you so easily and hadn't tried to flee yet? Maybe you're only here to distract me, so that the three men of FlowerPower could break and enter without haste!"

"I'm not! I don't even know them! I even hadn't known that something like killer-florets even exist till now!" Schuldig seemed truly surprised and outraged.

But Ran wasn't sure if he could still trust his own judgement. Above all when concerning Schuldig. Schuldig – confused him. Ran worried about him like a good friend, and when he had seen all that blood earlier he had been truly afraid that Schuldig had been heavily injured. For some time his worry seemed to be confirmed because Schuldig hadn't been approachable at all and hadn't given any clear answers to Ran's questions.

But then Ran had noticed Schuldig's gaze, had followed it and had seen, that he was fixating the towel that Ran had wrapped around his hips. And the towel had been slipping! Fortunately Ran had captured it just in time! But for a short moment he had considered to simply let it fall. To allow free play to it to see how Schuldig was going to react. That thought had really frightened him and he had stammered some stupid explanation.

And Schuldig? Schuldig had looked at him as if he knew exactly what Ran had been thinking right then. 'Of course he knew, he can read thoughts after all!' Ran cursed himself.

And so Ran had fled to get clothed. He had been almost finished when Schuldig started to shout his name from downstairs. 'Ah, he finally noticed the blood,' Ran thought almost amused. He had grabbed the first-aid-kit and had stormed downstairs again. And now he was sitting in the kitchen, opposite of him the Schwarz he had vetted right now and Ran didn't know who or what he could trust any more. Was Schuldig really his enemy still? He actually hadn't acted like one. But he had to be his enemy, after all, he was a member of Schwarz and Ran was a member of Weiß.

Ran sat upright. He would find it out right now! "What's then your reason for being here?" he asked. Schuldig looked down and mumbled something. Ran pricked his ears. "What? I didn't understand you."

Schuldig said, "I can't!" and blushed.

Ran looked surprised at him. He hadn't even known that Schuldig was able to blush at all – or that even something existed that could embarrass him.

"If you don't want me to believe that you're working for FlowerPower then you better tell me why you broke into our house yesterday!" Ran wouldn't let that topic go!

Schuldig sagged and said silently, "I had been drunk and it seemed to be a good idea..." He deeply sighed and then it bubbled out of him. "I – I have this little problem. I can't... I mean, it doesn't work any more, I really tried everything, and then there was that guy, I flirted with him and then I wanted to, but it didn't work, and it didn't work else, I really tried everything, and then I got totally drunk and somehow I thought that nothing mattered anyhow and that I could end my life as well but I didn't know how and then I saw your flower shop and I thought you could do it for me and that's why I broke into your house and that's the truth, I swear!"

Ran stared wide-eyed at Schuldig. Had he heard that right? Had Schuldig told him just now that he – that he was impotent? 'What a shame,' he thought, 'It's almost a crime that someone that gorgeous like Schuldig can't – what am I thinking?' he interrupted himself appalled. That was something that Ran didn't want to know! He really didn't!

Really carefully he asked, "And only because you're – impotent now, you wanted to commit suicide? Alright, it's really bad, above all because you're still so young, but you don't have to kill yourself for this reason! Maybe a physician can help, or Viagra or..."

Schuldig stared at him outraged. "Impotent? IMPOTENT? Who said I'm impotent? I'm not impotent! I NEVER ever had ANY problems with that!"

"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. That could happen to anyone. Well, not that it had happened to me yet, but..." Ran stopped talking when Schuldig glared at him. Oh boy, if looks could kill! "Alright, alright, then you're not impotent. But what have you been talking about then?"

Schuldig cast him a last angry glance before he took a deep breath and said, "I can't read any thoughts any more!"

Ran only stared at him. "You can't read any thoughts any more?"

"No! Not the slightest, itsy-bitsy thought! Not for days now! And I have really tried EVERYTHING. It simply doesn't work any more. I'm totally beaten because of that." He was sitting there like a picture of misery. Ran really took pity on him.

Schuldig couldn't read thoughts any more, right? Really? But that would mean – that would mean that Ran had been worried the whole day over nothing! That he had tried to suppress his thoughts for nothing!

It meant Schuldig didn't know anything! He didn't know that Ran had been nestled to him totally aroused that morning! He didn't know that for a moment Ran had considered to simply drop the towel! He didn't know! Ran leaned back and laughed out freely. What luck! What a relieve!

Schuldig cast him a hurt glance. "Go on, just keep making fun of my pain," he sniffed.

"I'm not making fun of you," Ran assured him. "I'm just..." He stopped talking. He couldn't tell Schuldig that he was immensely relieved because then he also had to explain why he was that relieved, and that was something he would do under no circumstances.

"It's not important," Ran continued, "but I think that's also no reason for suicide. You can't read any thoughts any more, so what? You're just like everybody else now, a completely normal human."

"Who wants to be normal anyway?" was the sad answer.

* * *

Schuldig hit rock bottom. Ran didn't understand how he was feeling! Since he could remember he had been able to read the thoughts of other people. If he had wanted to know what someone really meant or if they had been lying or what they felt he only had had to 'look'. And now? Now he didn't know how to get along any more. Without his supernatural power he wasn't very useful for Schwarz any more.

And how should he find out about anything now? How should he know if a guy he was interested in returned this interest? How did 'normal' people find out about that? No matter how, it surely had to be absolutely laborious. And Schuldig wasn't very keen on doing it like that. He wanted to be able to read thoughts again! Life was simply unfair. He sighed deeply.

"Hey, don't droop the head, I'm sure it's going to be alright!"

How could Ran be so cheerful? Didn't he see how much he was suffering? A little more sympathy would be appropriate right now! Schuldig cast the Japanese a reproachful look but Ran didn't even react to it. Instead he looked Schuldig up and down and said, "Well, your clothes are ruined, there's nothing we can do about them. I'll give you some clean clothes. And maybe you should take a shower." He wrinkled his nose.

Schuldig narrowed his eyes. Did Ran indicate that he was smelling? First he made fun about Schuldig's misery and now he insulted him too? Schuldig sniffled. Well, ok, maybe Ran had a point. Schuldig hadn't taken a shower for days now, since he had started his pub-crawl, and the blood from earlier didn't exactly add to his spruceness. So he stood and followed Ran upstairs into the bathroom.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a moment," Ran said and disappeared. Shortly after he returned and gave Schuldig a pile of clothes. "Let your dirty clothes here on the floor, I'll pick them up later. And don't wet your bandage!" With these words Ran closed the door from outside the bathroom.

Schuldig climbed into the shower and cleaned himself carefully so that the bandage didn't get wet. After that he dried himself and reached for the clothes Ran had given him. Whose clothes could they be? Maybe those of Ran? How would it be to feel clothes on his skin that his kitten had worn earlier?

With a smile Schuldig folded the clothes apart – and couldn't believe his eyes. No way these were Ran's clothes! They rather look like – like the clothes of Bombay! Ran had given him some silly children's clothes! First band-aid for kids and now children's clothes!

Schuldig glared angrily at the clothes. At least they didn't seem to be too small for him, because even though Schuldig was taller than Bombay, the teen preferred baggy clothes like many teenagers and therefore always bought his clothes some numbers bigger. But Schuldig nevertheless had a lot to say to Ran to this matter! He slipped into the awful clothes and just wanted to storm out of the bathroom when his gaze landed on the pink apron, which was lying on the laundry basket. Ran must have forgotten it here. With an evil little smile Schuldig reached for the apron. Ran wanted a fight, didn't he? Ran would get his fight!

* * *

Slowly Ran got impatient. The shower had stopped some time ago now but Schuldig still didn't come out of the bathroom. What was he doing in there? How long could it take to dress into Omi's clothes? Ran grinned at that image. He had deliberately chosen Omi's clothes because he hoped that they would distract Schuldig from his thoughts and cheer him a little bit up. The orange-head had seemed truly depressed; a little verbal exchange of blows was surely exactly the right thing to cheer him up. But he hadn't heard a single sound from inside yet.

Ran just wanted to knock and ask, if everything was alright when he heard the toilet flush. Oh. Ran stepped back again. The flush sounded a second time. And shortly after a third time. Ran frowned. Something wasn't alright.

"Schuldig!" he called. "Everything alright in there?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem, don't worry!" came the immediate answer from inside. Shortly after Ran heard the flush once more as well as Schuldig's suppressed curses.

Now Ran was really worried. He just reached for the doorknob when the door was torn wide open, Schuldig stormed out, shouted "Freak tide!" and ran him down.

Ran crawled out from under Schuldig, who was still trying to crawl away from the bathroom door, stood up and stared horror-stricken into the bathroom where a relatively big amount of water – but surely no freak tide – was swashing out of the toilet on the floor.

"What…?" he stammered and looked down on Schuldig, who was now sitting gasping on the floor.

"Uhm, seems like I had a little accident," he answered not guilty at all.

"An accident?" Ran answered while he waded through the water to the toilet. He looked inside the toilet where still water was flowing out. "How could that happen? What have you…" Ran stopped. What was blocking the toilet looked exactly like – "My apron!" he called appalled, "You stuffed my apron into the toilet!"

"That's right," came the cheerful answer. "I wanted to flush it down, actually, but somehow it didn't work and then the toilet overflowed and I couldn't stop the water. Well, doesn't matter, the ugly thing is now where it belongs by all means."

"I don't believe it!" Ran shook his head. "Why did you do that? And why the toilet, you should have known that it would be stuffed by it!"

Schuldig shrugged and grinned at Ran. "I would have preferred to burn the apron but I didn't have a lighter." And would have burned down the whole building, but Ran didn't say that loud.

But after all his plan seemed to have worked. Schuldig didn't look depressed any more, just the opposite, he seemed to amuse himself greatly. Ran frowned. 'Why am I interested how Schuldig is feeling anyhow?' he asked himself. Why did he worry about him? Why did he want to cheer him up? And why did he think him to be – even with those childish clothes – good enough to eat, sitting there on the floor and grinning like a fool? Ran wanted to bend down and kiss him.

The thought frightened Ran. No, no, no, he couldn't do it! Schuldig was his enemy, yes enemy! He wasn't to forget that. ‚Schuldig is your enemy and you don't kiss enemies,' he told himself again and again. He had to stop treating Schuldig like a guest. And that meant he had to tie him up again.

'But he is injured,' Ran's inner voice whispered.

'I can't be considerate of that, he is a captive and captives have to be tied up!' Ran wouldn't listen to that silent voice that tried to persuade him.

So he would tie up Schuldig again. Should he take him into another room too? But what if Schuldig would need his help at night? If perhaps his wound would break open or something like that? No, it was better if he stayed in Ran's room. 'And I need to have an eye on him after all,' Ran justified himself silently. After the havoc Schuldig just caused in the bathroom, who knows what he would get into alone in a room!

After Ran had come to this decision he went to Schuldig and pulled him up. He dragged him into his room and pushed him onto the bed. Schuldig kept silent and arched an eyebrow quizzically. But Ran ignored him and tied him again to the head of the bed. Then he went into the bathroom to take care of the flooding there. Afterwards he busied himself on the ground floor for some hours and tried not to think of Schuldig – albeit with no great success.

Later that afternoon Ran made some sandwiches and took them upstairs. Even if Schuldig was his prisoner and an enemy, he couldn't let him starve, could he? When he entered the room Schuldig was sitting on the bed, leaning upright on the head of the bed and amused himself with staring holes into the air.

"I brought you something to eat," Ran said and put the plate with the sandwiches down on the bedside table. He looked quickly at the bandage at Schuldig's left arm but he couldn't see any blood. Apparently the uncomfortable posture hadn't harmed the injury.

Schuldig looked at the plate, then at his tied hands and said, "And how am I supposed to eat?"

Ran hesitated a moment, then he sat down next to Schuldig on the bed, took a sandwich and held it in front of Schuldig's mouth. "Open," he requested.

Surprisingly Schuldig simply obeyed. He chewed, swallowed and bit off again. "You know," he said between two bites, "It would be much easier if you'd simply untie me."

"Forget it. I won't untie you," Ran answered shortly.

Schuldig looked searching at him. "Are you somehow pissed at me?" he asked.

Ran looked unbelievingly at him. "If I'm pissed? Well, let me think about it. You not only completely ruined my apron, no, you also succeeded in flooding the whole bathroom and half of the first floor! So, why should I be pissed at you?"

Schuldig only shrugged. "You started it! You gave me those stupid children's clothes!"

"But only to cheer you up a little bit!" Damn, how had this sentence escaped? He hadn't planned on telling it Schuldig!

"You wanted to cheer me up? But why?" Schuldig seemed to be honestly puzzled.

"Well," Ran squirmed a little under Schuldig's questioning gaze, "You were so sad because you can't read thoughts any more. And I thought, if I gave you those clothes you would have a reason to bitch and then you would feel better."

Schuldig still looked surprised at him. "But why do you want me to feel better?"

Ran shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he sighed while he kept on feeding Schuldig with the sandwiches. "I shouldn't care how you're doing and how you feel, but I care. And I don't know why. You're my enemy! But somehow I can't see you like that any more. I see you – oh I don't know what I see in you. And that's totally confusing me! I simply don't know what to do any more!"

Schuldig looked earnestly at him and said, "You know, I'm really glad I broke into your house yesterday. If I hadn't I would have missed quite a lot. The pink apron for example." Schuldig grinned shortly but got earnest immediately again. "Our bosses, Takatori and Persha, are enemies, but does that mean we also have to be? Ok, during our missions we're standing on different sides, but we're on no mission right now. And I realised that I – I don't want to be your enemy. I want to be your friend."

"Can we be friends at all?" Ran asked. He wasn't sure. He had never wanted to kiss a friend before.

Schuldig smiled at him. "I don't know. But we can find it out. Untie me and then I can help you get back what those three killer-florets had stolen earlier. And maybe in the end we will know what we are. Friends or enemies."

Ran stared like hypnotised into Schuldig's green eyes. The thought to untie Schuldig was tempting. Very tempting. But then his mind got the upper hand again and he averted his eyes. No. He couldn't do it. Schuldig was a member of Schwarz, and Ran one of Weiß. Ran had to accept it.

"I can't," he therefore whispered and left the room.

When Ran returned into his room later Schuldig was already sound asleep. Although Ran wasn't that tired he stretched out next to the Schwarz and closed his eyes. Maybe he would get some rest while sleeping, because when he couldn't get any when being awake. The whole evening he had been thinking of Schuldig and had argued with himself in his thoughts. A part of him wanted to give in to his desire and not think of the consequences. The other part demanded to stay away and not to associate with the enemy. This part was still the stronger one of the two, but for how long? Ran sighed and fell asleep.

-

When Ran opened his eyes again it was in the middle of the night. The room was dark; only the moon shone through the window and cast everything in a surreal, silver light. Dreamily he stroked over Schuldig's chest on which he was – once again – nestled. But although he realised much faster this time who was lying with him in bed he didn't make any attempts to leave the bed. Why should he? Schuldig was sleeping and would never find out, and Ran liked it too much to hold the orange-head in his arms.

Carefully he slid his hand under Schuldig's t-shirt. Hm, his naked skin felt simply wonderful! He slowly felt his way up and found a nipple. With one finger he drew little circles around it and felt it tighten. Suddenly he heard a muffled gasp, raised his head – and looked straight into Schuldig's eyes. Ran froze. For some time none of them spoke, then Schuldig whispered, "Untie me."

* * *

Schuldig held his breath. What would Ran do? Would he really untie him? Or would he turn away and pretend that nothing had happened? When Schuldig woke up some time ago he had been very surprised to find the Weiß not only sleeping in the same bed but also wrapped both arms and one leg around him. Who would have thought! The whole day Ran hadn't shown his interest in Schuldig but when sleeping the Japanese didn't seem to control himself that well.

Schuldig had tried to make as little movement as possible so that Ran wouldn't turn around or wake up and he could enjoy this embrace as long as possible. Too bad that Schuldig was tied up or he could have taken advantage of the situation. Damn, if he hadn't been tied up the whole day long he could have taken advantage of a lot of situations! Schuldig didn't fool himself, he was extremely attracted to Ran and as it seemed right now Ran felt it too. Even Schuldig could recognise that without reading Ran's thoughts.

Suddenly a thought crossed Schuldig's mind. Had Ran spent the last night here as well? Perhaps in the same sleeping position? And Schuldig had slept through it! He had cursed silently and exactly that moment Ran had woken up. Schuldig had noticed it immediately and hadn't dared to move. He had only looked down at the head that was lying on his chest and had waited curiously what Ran would do next.

And now he was still lying here and waiting if Ran would untie him. But Ran seemed to hesitate. "Please!" Schuldig added. Finally Ran moved. Slowly he pulled his hand out of the t-shirt and Schuldig wanted to sigh disappointed when he noticed that Ran reached for the ropes that tied Schuldig to the bed. A few moments later the redhead had loosened the knots and lay back down. He still only looked at Schuldig and seemed to wait what Schuldig would do now.

Schuldig rubbed shortly his wrist to stimulate the blood circulation again, then he wrapped both hands around Ran's face and looked him shortly into the eyes before he bent down and kissed him. Slowly his tongue entered Ran's mouth and explored for a long time and thoroughly the insides till Ran's tongue met his and they played and caressed each other. When they released each other they were both breathless.

Schuldig reached for Ran's t-shirt, pushed it slowly up and removed it finally. Then he bent down again and started to caress Ran's upper body. He nibbled at Ran's neck and elicited a choked groan. Smiling Schuldig kissed his way down till he found one nipple. Slowly he circled it with his tongue and sucked at it till it hardened and tightened. Then he turned to the other nipple and repeated it there.

"Schuuuu," Ran gasped and Schuldig raised his head to kiss him again. His kitten tasted simply indescribably! Ran interrupted the kiss for a short time to remove Schuldig's t-shirt as well and then he sucked again hungrily at his mouth. Schuldig moaned. Oh god, it felt simply incredible to feel Ran's hands on his body! He pushed his own hands down Ran's back towards his pants and grabbed his ass. Completely aroused he ground himself at Ran's erection.

Suddenly impatient Schuldig didn't want to wait any more and started to tear at Ran's jeans. Couldn't that damn thing simply vanish? Frowning he interrupted the kiss and stared angrily at the pants. Ran chuckled, lifted his hips a little and now the pants could be pushed down easily. Awestruck Schuldig stared at Ran's naked, aroused body. He was simply beautiful! Schuldig lowered his head and nibbled tenderly at Ran's bellybutton. Accompanied by Ran's passionate moans he kissed and nibbled his way down.

Finally arrived at his goal he raised his head shortly and saw that Ran was leaned on his elbows and looked at him. Smiling he looked into his kitten's eyes while he reached out with his tongue and licked quickly over the tip of the erect cock. Ran groaned and his head fell back in his nape.

'So you like that,' Schuldig thought pleased and took the cock completely into his mouth and sucked at it.

Groaning loudly Ran neared his climax but shortly before he could reach it Schuldig stopped again and slid along Ran's body up again to nibble his earlobe.

"Schu," Ran whispered gasping, "I need… I want…"

"What do you want, mein Kätzchen?" Schuldig asked. But Ran only squirmed and pressed his body closer to Schuldig's. „You have to tell me, Kätzchen," Schuldig whispered while his hand caressed Ran's hips. (2)

"I want you. I want to feel you inside me. Please, Schu!" Ran's panting pleas were barely audible.

Schuldig smiled. "Help me," he said and led Ran's hands to his pants that he was still wearing. What luck that Omi preferred those ridiculous wide shorts or else the pants would have been much too uncomfortable long before because of his arousal. With a tug Ran ripped the shorts and closed both hands around Schuldig's whole length.

Schuldig groaned and almost reached his climax then and there, Ran's caressing hands felt that good on him. He wouldn't be able to control himself any longer. Schuldig raised his head and looked asking at Ran.

"You got lube?" he whispered. Ran gestured with his head at the bedside table.

"Top drawer," he panted. Schuldig stretched out his hand, pulled the drawer open and took out the tube. He coated his fingers with the lube, spread Ran's legs and inserted one finger.

Encouraged by Ran's moaning he added a second and a third finger and widened Ran carefully. When he thought it to be widened enough he pulled his fingers out again and positioned his cock in front of the opening and remained there.

"Ran," he whispered, "look at me!"

Ran obeyed and Schuldig looked deeply into his amethyst-coloured eyes while entering him slowly. Oh god, his kitten was so tight and felt so wonderful! Carefully he pushed further in but Ran seemed to think it too slow because he closed his legs around Schuldig and pressed him with all his strength down so that Schuldig entered him with one thrust completely.

Schuldig groaned and started to move. Ran clasped him, dug his nails into Schuldig's back and met his thrusts. That Feeling! Schuldig simply couldn't describe it. Never had the sex been that – that intensive! With no one else he had ever felt that sort of connection like with his kitten.

Schuldig closed one hand around Ran's still hard cock and started to massage it while quickening his thrusts. They moved more and more fiercely until they reached their climax together. Fireworks exploded behind Schuldig's eyes and for a moment he thought he had died and gone to heaven. Schuldig shivered and collapsed on Ran. Exhausted he laid his head on Ran's shoulder and pressed his face into his neck.

"Mein Kätzchen," he whispered and caressed Ran's chest with small movements. The last thing he felt before he drifted into a deep sleep were Ran's arms that closed around him and embraced him safely.

* * *

(1) Gänseblümchen - German word for "daisy"

(2) Kätzchen - German word for "kitten"


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** The War of the Roses  
**Author:** Zanna  
**Disclaimer warnings:** see chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I hope you will forgive me! I wish I could say it wasn't my fault, but I fear I was a little bit lazy. -) Anyway, I hope it won't take as long for the next chapter (and the next chapter isn't as long as this one, so I think I will be able to finish it sooner) and I hope you still remember me! Oh, and many, many thanks to all who reviewed!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Ran lay awake for a long time, held the sleeping Schuldig in his arms and was thinking. What had just happened? He had slept with Schuldig. With Schuldig! Whom he had regarded as his enemy only a short time ago! Whom he really had gotten to know only two days ago! The short meetings at the missions didn't really count as 'getting to know'. How could that only have happened? It was very unlikely for him to behave like that. And he also couldn't put all the blame at Schuldig. Even if Schuldig was a person that took nothing serious and apparently was only living for the moment it had been Ran's own decision. He had untied Schuldig.

And Schuldig hadn't had to be asked twice. But Ran couldn't really blame him for that. He hadn't held back too. And he actually didn't regret anything, it had been the most incredible night of his life! But – what if it hadn't been like that for Schuldig? If it had been normal for him? If it hadn't been something special? If it hadn't meant anything?

Why did he want that this night meant something to Schuldig? Completely lost in thoughts Ran caressed Schuldig's long hair. Why was it so important? Ran sighed. Because that night meant something to him. Because he wasn't the kind of person that would sleep with someone they didn't care for. And that meant he could fall in love with Schuldig. Maybe he even already had. And if the night hadn't meant to Schuldig as much as it had for Ran then it would only lead to on thing. To Ran's broken heart. And he didn't want to risk that.

And therefore he would take the facts as they were. It had been an one-time affair, an one-night-stand, a marvellous, breathtaking, passionate and mind-boggling one-night-stand though, but nothing more. And it wouldn't be repeated. He simply wouldn't invest too much emotions into it. Right! Nothing simpler than that! With that thought Ran finally fell asleep too.

-

When Ran woke up again he still held Schuldig in his arms. It was already bright outside and a glance at his watch told him that it was already after eight o'clock. Slowly he loosened himself from Schuldig, anxious not to wake him up. As much as he had wanted to. Although Ran let his gaze wander over Schuldig enjoying. As tantalising the idea was to let his hands roam over this magnificent body and to explore, to caress and to seduce it! His mouth would follow the path of his hands, and then he would… Ran tore himself forcefully out of this thoughts. He had decided to go about it unemotionally! And that was exactly what he would do now! Right! And therefore he would begin with taking a shower and then getting clothed.

But instead to move Ran still stared dreamily at Schuldig's outstretched form. Why did he have to look so gorgeous? It would have been much more easier to go about it unemotionally if Schuldig would look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame!

'Don't be ridiculous, Ran, as if you really wanted that!' he laughed at himself. What had he been doing again when Schu had distracted him so sneakily? Oh yes, clothes. Where did he keep them again? Ran forced himself to avert his eyes. Wardrobe. Right. He kept his clothes inside the wardrobe normally. What was only logical. Or else that thing wouldn't be called wardrobe.

'Just what rubbish am I thinking right now?' Ran asked himself appalled.

Determined not to get distracted again he went to the wardrobe, fetched some clean clothes and disappeared into the shower. When he was finished he shortly hesitated at the door to his room. Should he wake up Schuldig and ask him what he would like for breakfast? Maybe he should make his famous miso-soup?

'Damn, get a grip on yourself! It was only a short, insignificant affair, nothing else, you don't need to spoil him!' he angrily reminded himself. He would go downstairs now and make breakfast – whatever was handy! – and if Schuldig got hungry he would appear, no question! Resolutely Ran trudged down the stairs. It would be really laughable if he couldn't get it under control! Hah!

Breakfast was finally ready but still no sound came from upstairs. Just how long Schuldig wanted to keep on sleeping? Slowly Ran went upstairs into his room again. Schuldig was still lying there, just as he had left him.

'I should wake him up,' Ran thought. After all, they had a great deal to do today. But how should he wake him? Should he go and shake him? No, better no physical contact. That could be dangerous.

"Schuldig!" Ran called therefore. "Wake up!"

Schuldig didn't move and only mumbled unintelligible in his sleep.

"Wake up! Hey, Schuldig!" Still no reaction from Schuldig. Ran would have to resort to more rigorous methods.

Now he would have to go over there after all and… Suddenly Ran had an idea. But no, he couldn't do it! That would be mean! And cruel! And Schuldig would probably kill him afterwards! But who cared, the fun would be worth it! With a wicked little smile Ran went into the bathroom to fetch a wet sponge.

* * *

Schuldig was dreaming. It was a really wonderful dream. After all, his kitten was playing a not so unimportant part in it, which dream wouldn't be fantastically given that? He was just caressing and touching Ran everywhere. And his kitten smiled at him and opened his mouth to say something seductive. Schuldig was sure of it.

"Schuldig! Wake up!"

Huh? That didn't sound very seductive. And just where was the affectionate 'Schu' from last night? Even in his dreams his kitten showed it's claws! Schuldig mumbled. He would have to double his efforts to make Ran purr again!

"Wake up! Hey, Schuldig!"

Wake up? But Schuldig didn't want to wake up. On the other hand, if his kitten even resisted him in his dreams he could as well wake up. While he was discussing semi-somnolent with himself the decision was already taken away from him. Namely by something cold and wet that hit him straight into his face.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Schuldig jumped up and stood upright on the bed. His gaze fell on Ran, who was standing in front of the bed and was calculating holding a wet sponge in his hand.

"Well, awake at last?" Ran asked with a broad grin.

Stunned Schuldig fell down on the bed again. How could his kitten do something that cruel to him? And why was Ran awake anyway? And clothed? Shouldn't he rightfully have been lying soft and warm beside Schuldig and be roused by him? And much more enjoyably than it just now happened!

"Why?" Schuldig asked weakly.

"It's almost nine o'clock and we have a lot to do today, so up and out of the bed with you!" came the cheerful answer.

Nine o'clock? Schuldig peered at the clock on the bedside table to make sure. Indeed. That despicable sadist roused him in the middle of the night.

"Go away," he growled and buried his face deeper into the pillow. He simply would sleep a little longer.

"If you don't get up at once you're going to meet the sponge again!" Something like anticipation resonated in Ran's voice. Just how could he be so darned cheerful in the middle of the night?

"I never get up at an one-digit time of day," Schuldig clarified grumpily with still in the pillow buried head.

"Come on Schu, don't act like that! You said you wanted to help me, and if that was the truth then get up right now. We have to finish some matters before we could break into FlowerPower."

Schu! Ran had called him 'Schu' again! The thought cheered him up a little bit after all so that he actually considered to get up now.

"Coffee," Schuldig turned his head hopefully to look at Ran.

Ran smiled at him and said, "If you want coffee you have to get up."

Very well. Then he would just get up. Sighing he raised from the pillows and got off the bed. After he had mastered that difficult task he turned to Ran to beg for coffee again. But Ran seemed to be somehow distracted. Schuldig frowned. Why was Ran staring at him like that? He looked down at himself. Oh yeah. He was naked. Schuldig grinned. Judging from Ran's glassy look he liked what he saw! Provocative Schuldig crossed his arms and waited what his kitten would do now.

But Ran only blushed – 'Interesting,' Schuldig mused, 'Did he always imagine me naked when he blushed during the last days?' – and said, "Wardrobe."

Ran's stammering tore Schuldig out of his interesting thoughts. "What?" he asked completely surprised.

"Wardrobe," Ran repeated and gestured into the direction of said wardrobe. "Clothes. Inside the wardrobe are clothes. They're always there. The clothes. Uh… well, I mean, choose something and put it on."

With these incoherent words Ran fled the room. Schuldig frowned. Of course the clothes were inside the wardrobe. Did Ran think he was too stupid to know that?

Quietly muttering Schuldig turned to the wardrobe and opened it. Hah! He would be able to wear clothes of his kitten after all! Cheerfully he rummaged through Ran's wardrobe till he found something he liked.

After a short shower he got dressed, followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of the rescuing brew. "You're lucky that you have coffee," he mumbled at Ran over the edge of his cup. "There are only two things that can perk me up at this time of day."

After a short hesitation Ran asked curiously, "And what's the other thing?"

Schuldig grinned. He had hoped that Ran would ask! "Well," he drawled and let his gaze roam savouring over Ran, "We're definitely both overdressed for that one."

But contrary to Schuldig's expectations Ran didn't blush this time but only looked at him motionless and said, "Stop that nonsense, Schu. Finish eating already."

Damn! And Schuldig had already thought he had finally grasped how that figure-out-what-others-think-without-reading-their-thoughts-thingie worked! He had really thought that Ran would react to that innuendo! But after all, he was still calling him Schu!

Cheerfully Schuldig shovelled everything edible that Ran gave him into his mouth. When he finally had had enough he leaned back and looked expectantly at the Japanese. "Well, what's your plan? How do you want to get back what those killer-flowers stole from you yesterday?" Schuldig frowned. "Just what exactly did they steal?"

Ran cleared his throat. "A rose," he said quietly.

Schuldig widened his eyes. "A rose? You mean, those three guys broke into your house, demolished everything, shot around rampantly, almost killed me, and all of this only to steal a rose? What prices do you have in your flower shop? Does one have to raise a mortgage if he wants to buy a bouquet of flowers?"

Ran cast him an angry look. "That wasn't a simple rose. It was a completely new breed that I have been growing painfully. It's unique on earth and it was the only specimen I had. The extraordinary of that rose is that it's iridescence. The colour changes depending on perspective and incidence of light. And whoever will come out with it first is going to earn a lot of money!"

Schuldig's corner of the mouth started to twitch and only with great effort he could restrain a snicker. "Could it be that Weiß takes it's disguise a little bit too far?"

"There's a life outside the missions!" Ran snapped angrily. "That rose is really important to me, I invested a lot of time and energy into it! It's my project, my baby and nobody steals it from me and gets away with it! You don't want to help me, fine, then I'm going to do it on my own! I should have known that you wasn't serious when you offered me to help!"

"Yes, I was serious. I really want to help you." Schuldig went to Ran, laid both arms around his waist and pulled him close. "After all, I really can't allow that some perfect strange killer-flowers steal something that's important for my Kätzchen," he murmured with his chin on Ran's shoulder.

But instead of leaning against Schuldig too, Ran stiffened and hastily freed himself of the embrace. "Alright," he said, "then we need the outline of the FlowerPower head office." With those words he disappeared into the back of the house.

Schuldig stayed back thoughtfully and a little sad. So that was how things looked like. Ran didn't want to be touched by him again. Hadn't the last night meant anything to his kitten? This thought really depressed Schuldig. Because although he normally wasn't averse to an one-night-stand, the affair with Ran was – different. It had been special. At least for Schuldig. He had never ever experienced anything similar. His whole world had changed yesterday.

But apparently not for Ran. Schuldig swallowed. He really would like to sit down on the floor and cry. Just what wasn't alright with him? Why didn't Ran like him? Had he perhaps not… Schuldig gasped horror-stricken. Had he perhaps not been good enough in bed? Could it really be like that? Did his kitten think him to be – boring? For sure it was because he couldn't read thoughts any more! But… maybe if Ran gave him another chance then he could prove that he was really good! Then he could make his kitten purr and then Ran would call out 'Schuuuu', just like last night!

Wait a sec. Ran hadn't seemed to be bored in the least last night. Far from it. And Schuldig couldn't believe that his kitten had only been pretending. Besides – Ran had been calling him 'Schu' during the whole morning. Not one single time he had simply called him 'Schwarz' again. That had to mean something, hadn't it? Could it be that Ran wasn't that indifferent to him as he pretended to be? Oh damn, why couldn't he read any thoughts any more? Then he would have found out long ago what his kitten felt for him!

Alright, how could he find out otherwise? Schuldig paced between fridge and cooking stove and pondered. He would have to provoke Ran. Right. So that he would show a reaction sometime. But just how should he provoke him? Schuldig sighed and followed Ran into the lab.

* * *

Ran sat at the computer in his lab and searched the internet for the floor plans of the FlowerPower head office. But somehow he couldn't really concentrate. And although he was looking at the monitor he didn't see what it showed. There could have been just as well a page for Teletubbie fan fiction, Ran wouldn't even notice. Over and over he heard how Schu had called him 'Kätzchen' in the kitchen just now. In that soft, caressing tone. Just like yesterday night. What did that mean? Did it mean anything at all? Or did Schuldig act like that with all of his lovers?

Ran didn't like that thought at all. He wanted that Schu would act only with him like that! That he was special for Schu! The intensity of this wish startled Ran. 'Don't think about it,' he advised himself silently, 'just don't think about it!'

That moment Schuldig walked into the laboratory and Ran quickly concentrated on the computer again. The floor plans. Right. He entered the needed URL and started the hacking program that Omi had written and that should give him access to the main server of FlowerPower. But it was a miracle that he succeeded in starting the program at all, because Ran wasn't really focused on his task. Again and again he looked from the corner of his eyes at Schuldig, who was strolling through the lab and lifting objects here and there to look closer at them. Ran sighed.

Schuldig turned his head and looked at him. Quickly Ran aimed his eyes again at the monitor. Did Schu notice anything? What was he doing now? Ran would have liked to check it, but what if Schu was still looking at him? And caught Ran watching him? So Ran kept on staring straight ahead on the monitor.

Suddenly Schuldig bent over Ran's right shoulder and looked at the monitor too. His left arm lay on the backrest of the chair, his right arm was rested on the armrest. It was almost like the embrace in the kitchen a short moment ago.

"Do you make any progress?" Schuldig's voice asked directly next to Ran's ear. Ran turned his head a little to the right. Schu was so close to him! If he turned his head just a little more he could capture Schu's earlobe with his lips and nibble at it and…

Ran closed his eyes to shut out the sight of Schu and therefore the temptation. But it was no use, he could still smell it, Schu's unique scent he could still remember so well from last night, and he could feel him at his shoulder where Schu was touching him slightly. Oh my, if he didn't turn his thoughts in another direction quite fast he would attack Schu any minute and take him on one of the tables. Or on the floor. Or…

'Different thoughts, different thoughts, think of something else!' Ran called himself to order. He opened his eyes again and cleared his throat. "How did it happen?" he asked to finally distract himself.

"How did what happen?" Schuldig sat down next to the computer on the table and dangled his legs.

"Well, that you can't read any thoughts any more. Something must have caused it, that kind of ability can't simply disappear like that. Or can it?" Ran looked searching at him.

Schuldig's face darkened. "No idea," he answered, "as it never happened to me before I don't know if one could simply lose that kind of power. All I know is that it simply didn't work all of a sudden. While flirting I wanted search the thoughts of the guy a little bit, just as always, but I couldn't. And it hadn't worked with anyone else since then. You can believe me, that was the worst day of my life. But I should have known as shitty as the whole day had started!"

"Why, what happened?" Ran asked again.

"Well, Brad sent me on this idiotic mission. I had to steal a disk. I! A stupid disk! From one of those multi-storey warehouses down at the harbour. And the building wasn't even especially well guarded! So why did Brad send me of all people? Am I perhaps his personal waiting-boy? This stupid mission was really unchallenging for my capabilities! Why couldn't Nagi take this mission? He could have simply flown the disk into his hands without even entering the building at all!

But no, Mr. I-had-a-vision-and-it's-ultra-important-that-I-get-this-disk insisted that I take the mission! So I climbed this stupid storefront, almost fell down and ruined my favourite shirt! And then a box of flour fell on my head from a shelf in that stupid office where the disk was kept! Just who is storing flour an places like that? The whole room was dusted, I almost suffocated in that flour-cloud and almost coughed my lung out. And as if it wasn't enough I had a ghastly headache afterwards for hours. But apparently it wasn't enough, no I also had to lose my telepathic abilities! Someone up there really hates me!" Schuldig looked accusingly towards the sky.

Ran frowned. Something at the story had perplexed him. There was something… "Which warehouse was it exactly?" he asked Schuldig.

"The high one which is painted with flowers from top to bottom. Why do you ask?"

Slowly Ran got a suspicion but he had to be sure therefore he kept on asking, "And the white stuff that you inhaled. Are you sure that it was flour?" He looked at Schuldig serious and concentrated.

"Of course. What else should it have been? It looked like flour and it floated in the air just like flour. It smelled a little bit funny, but maybe it was already spoilt or something like that. Why do you ask?" Schuldig repeated his question slightly alarmed.

Ran thought intensely. "I never would have thought that it could be real…" he murmured.

Schuldig's face looked slightly panicked. "What? What was that stuff? Was it toxic? Am I going to die? Say something, Ran!"

"The warehouse you broke into belongs to FlowerPower," Ran explained. "And we attended the meeting of the association of the floristic trade recently Gänseblümchen had been drinking a little bit too much. He had started to babble absurd things. No one had taken him serious, but he had made a lot of noise and shouted loudly around. That soon he wouldn't have to deal with all those idiots of the association any more, that he would usurp world dominancy and that Warzenkaktus was on the verge of finishing the drug." (1)

"Drug? What drug? Do you mean that I inhaled some kind of drug? Oh god, am I addicted now… – did you just say 'Warzenkaktus'?" Despite his earlier horror Schuldig didn't seem to be able to suppress a grin.

Ran grinned back. "He is one of the top-level scientists of FlowerPower. As much as I know he is absolutely ingenious and in addition definitely crazy. The drug that he is said to have designed turns supposedly all who inhale it into will-less marionettes. That way Gänseblümchen wants to down and control the people."

"But I don't feel like a will-less marionette," Schuldig protested.

Ran looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, I wonder myself. There are two possible explanations: firstly, the drug doesn't work like it should, or, secondly, as you're not normal it's working differently on you."

"Hey wait a sec! What do you mean, I'm not normal?" Schuldig glared at him outraged.

Ran grinned at him. "I didn't mean it as insult. But you're a telepath, you can read thoughts and that means your brain is definitely working differently as the brain of a normal person."

Schuldig still looked suspiciously at him, as if he wanted to be sure that Ran really wasn't making fun of him. "You mean, I was a telepath. I could read thoughts. That's over now. Now I'm not the slightest bit different than the 'normal' people." That thought seemed to depress Schuldig each time anew.

"Exactly," Ran answered, "you could read thoughts. Till the incident with the 'flour'. Don't you see? You're inhaling a strange substance and suddenly you're not able to read any thoughts any more! There has to be a connection!"

Schuldig looked at him unbelieving. "Do you want to say that this stuff is responsible that I lost my telepathic abilities?"

Ran nodded. "Yes, I think so. You also said that you had a terrible headache afterwards. That could have been an indication of the drug that was changing something inside your head."

Schuldig swallowed. "Inside my head?" he squeaked horror-stricken and twisted his eyes as if he wanted to look inside his head to check if everything was still alright.

"Well, of course I don't know exactly how that drug works and how it affects the brain but I think you don't need to worry. You feel just like always, don't you? I mean, except of your telepathy."

Schuldig looked at him and nodded slowly. "And how can I make it undone?" he asked Ran.

Ran looked at him commiserative. "I don't know if you can make it undone, Schu. I would need to know how that drug works, and to find out about that I would need the formula. And even then the damage could be permanent... – The formula! That's it, Schu!" Ran called excited. Schuldig looked at him questioningly.

"If we break into FlowerPower to get back the rose we can take as well the formula for that marionette drug! And then I could try to make an antidote so that you can get back your ability!"

Schuldig's expression had brightened more and more at Ran's words and now his face beamed happy. "You can do that? And you would really do it for me?" he asked breathless.

Completely overwhelmed of Schuldig's overjoyed smile Ran could only nod. With a crow Schuldig jumped up, pulled the completely surprised Ran out of his chair and whirled him around laughing for some times. Ran couldn't resist for too long and joined in Schuldig's laughter.

Completely breathless they finally stopped but were both too dizzy to let go of each other. Ran looked into Schu's radiant face and got slowly serious again. How did he do it? How could Schu only break through Ran's entire barriers that simple? He had decided to not let Schu get near him again. But now he was embracing him again. And still, what was more important, he had offered to help Schu! And as much as his mind told him that Schwarz would be distinctly weakened without Schuldig's psychic power and he shouldn't help Schuldig, as little he listened to it.

Because Ran had noticed how deep it really had hurt Schuldig to lose his telepathy. He had seen how depressed Schuldig had been because of that, and how helpless he seemed to feel. And Ran simply couldn't bear it. He wanted to do everything to see Schuldig happy again, and if that meant that he had to steal the formula from Gänseblümchen and help Schwarz to get back the advantage of a telepath, then he would do it.

He smiled insecurely at the German, who had gotten serious meanwhile too and looked silently at Ran. Schuldig raised his hand and slowly caressed Ran's cheek with the back of his index finger.

"I think you really like me, Kätzchen," Schuldig whispered smiling.

Schu's face was very close suddenly and Ran could feel his warm breath. Completely lost in Schuldig's gaze from which he couldn't get free Ran bent slightly forward. Only a few centimetres and then he would finally feel Schuldig's lips on his own, something that Ran had been secretly wishing for the whole day.

Suddenly the blip sounded which announced the success of the former started program and tore Ran abruptly out of his droop. Hastily he freed himself from Schuldig's embrace and hurried to the computer. How could he have let himself go like that? He almost had kissed Schuldig! But it really was bloody difficult to keep his hands off him! Certainly Schuldig was doing it on purpose! Why did he have to be so... so... so... Oh, didn't matter, he was doing it on purpose, period! And with that Ran jumped at the preparations for the break-in at FlowerPower.

* * *

Schuldig leaned comfortably back into the passenger seat of Ran's Porsche. Why didn't anyone at Schwarz have a car like that? Yeah, there was Brad's Mercedes, but really, a Mercedes was a car for old people! But Ran's Porsche – well that car let speed up the beat of men's hearts! Just how the motor purred! And the acceleration! Too bad that Ran didn't want to let him drive. Schuldig sighed deeply and cast the next to him sitting Weiß a sidelong glance.

After they had finally gotten access to the main server of FlowerPower Ran had printed out the ground plans of their head office and afterwards he had searched through the data to find out where his rose and the formula for the marionette drug would be kept most likely. They had narrowed down on two possible places: the office of Gänseblümchen and the lab where Warzenkaktus worked. God, just who had thought up that name? 'Probably the same one who's responsible for Gänseblümchen and Co too,' Schuldig thought sarcastically.

And so they had left in the evening to break into FlowerPower. Ran carried as usual his Katana and Schuldig got a gun. He hadn't even known that Weiß owned any guns at all, but you live and learn. What a luck, he really wouldn't have wanted to strike out completely unarmed to get back Ran's baby and to steal the formula.

Schuldig's heart warmed at that thought. Ran wanted to help him! Only because of the suspicion that the drug was responsible for the loss of Schuldig's power Ran wanted to make a detour during their break-in to search for the formula! Schuldig didn't really know much about relationships but somehow he had the feeling that it was a good sign that his kitten wanted to do anything like that for him. Because why should he go to so much troubles for someone he didn't care for.

The thought that Ran wasn't that indifferent to him as he pretended had cheered up Schuldig much more than the idea to get back his power. And that had frightened him a little bit. After all, he had been mainly useful to Schwarz because of his telepathy, and he loved his live as Schwarz! He wanted it back! He wanted to take on missions, wanted to feel the excitement, the adrenaline! The same exaltation he felt just now too! Indeed, it wasn't a mission for Schwarz but after all he was on the way to seriously kick some ass!

And the best was that he was on the way together with his kitten. For once they would work side by side instead to fight each other like normally, and Schuldig liked it. He liked it very much. It almost let him forget that he went into this fight handicapped – never ever before he had had to fight without reading the thoughts of his opponents. But no one of Weiß had any special powers and they somehow managed it too – even if Schwarz had made it easy for them of course.

The Porsche stopped and Ran said, "We're here. We walk from here on."

They both got out and ran silently the few blocks to the head office of FlowerPower. They circled the building to get to the entrance of the underground parking. Arrived there Ran started to deactivate the alarm device. That reminded Schuldig of something.

"Why don't you have an alarm device at your HQ?" he asked quietly.

Ran looked up quickly and whispered back, "We have an alarm device."

"But it didn't go off, neither when I entered nor when the three killer-florets visited." Schuldig watched Ran skilfully find the right wires and short-circuit them.

"Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion are pros. They interrupted the alarm before they entered. I looked at it yesterday, there's nothing to do about it. No chance, I have to get a new one," Ran said. "Finished. We can go inside," he pointed at the rolling gate of the underground parking. Silently Ran and Schuldig pushed the shutter up.

"And why didn't the alarm go off when I broke into your house?" Schuldig really wanted to know it.

To make sure that nobody who accidentally would cross their way could recognise them they wore masks that only let free their eyes and mouths. Then the ran quickly towards the elevators and avoided skilfully the viewing area of the security cameras that were spread all throughout the parking.

Ran mumbled something indistinctly as answer to Schuldig's question and Schuldig stopped short. Had he really heard "cleaning windows" right now? Did Ran want to say that he had turned off the alarm device to clean the windows? He was still grinning when they reached the elevators and Ran cast him an angry glare. He had really heard right after all.

Quietly giggling he helped Ran to open the elevator doors. Then he looked up the long elevator shaft.

"Can you tell me again why we have to climb up there instead of comfortably taking the elevator?" he asked Ran groaning.

"Because they surely notice if the elevators moves, and we can't take the stairs as well because they are video monitored. I already told you that," Ran reminded him, tied his sword round his hips and grabbed the steps of the ladder that led up the elevator shaft. "And don't forget, should the elevator suddenly move, press close to the wall. There's enough room for the elevator to pass us by without touching us." With these words Ran started to climb up and shortly after he vanished into the darkness.

"Well, at least I can admire the view on my way up," Schuldig consoled himself and followed him.

Floor after floor they get by and Schuldig had lost the survey long ago. Why did Gänseblümchen have to have his office just on the 30th floor? Couldn't he usurp the world domination on the ground floor just as well? Why did those megalomaniac lunatics always have to sit on the top?

'Maybe I should write a book about it,' Schuldig mused, 'With the title 'Why would-be world conqueror love high buildings and what they want to compensate with them'. That's surely going to be a best-seller.'

"How far is it?" he asked.

Ran looked down to him and answered, "Only two floors."

Well, alright, Schuldig could manage two more floors. Some minutes later they were there and Ran stopped climbing.

"Come up here and secure me," he called down to Schuldig, "I need both hands to open the door."

Uhu, that promised to get interesting! Schuldig didn't needed to be asked twice and climbed up. One of his arms he lay around Ran's waist, the other he wound around one of the steps of the ladder. Ran bent forward and Schuldig hissed. Did his kitten do it on purpose? This position, Ran's ass that pressed provokingly against his groin, it really turned Schuldig on. And if it lasted just a little longer then Ran would feel it really clearly! But only seconds later the elevator doors opened and Schuldig sighed disappointed. He would have liked to hold his kitten a little longer like that, only to see what would happen. But Ran already climbed out of the shaft into the corridor and Schuldig didn't hesitate and followed him.

Silently they sneaked down the corridor towards Gänseblümchen's office, also anxious to stay out of the viewing area of the security cameras. The door to the office was opened quickly and immediately they both started to search for the hidden safe.

It was Schuldig, who finally found it behind a picture. "For someone who's aiming for world domination Gänseblümchen didn't choose a very witty hiding place," he whispered to Ran, who only shrugged as answer and started to crack the Safe.

But the safe was empty. Well, not really empty, there were a lot of papers, contracts and the like, but no compact disks or diskettes on which the formula could be saved.

"Damn!" Ran cursed suppressed.

"What do we do now?" Schuldig asked quietly.

Ran sighed. "We'll go down to the lab and hope that there's a safe too."

Silently they closed the safe again and saw to it that they left the office as untouched as possible so that no one could find out that they had been there.

Then they darted back to the elevator shaft and started to climb down to the floor where the lab was. The lock on the lab door was much more difficult to crack than the one on Gänseblümchen's office, but finally Ran succeeded and they slipped in.

"If I were a Warzenkaktus, where would I hide a rose?" Schuldig mused.

Ran cast him a look. "Maybe you should better think where you would hide the formula for the marionette-drug."

Schuldig shrugged. "Maybe we're lucky and find both inside the safe."

"You can't keep a flower inside a safe!" Ran's voice sounded almost horror-stricken. "It needs light, air and water or it dies!"

"Alright, then I'll search for a place with light, air and water and you can search for the safe." Schuldig started immediately with the search, he went by the benches and kept his eyes open for everything that even remotely resembled a rose. But he found nowhere even the smallest green leaf, no flowerpot, nothing. There were no plants in this lab.

Schuldig put his arms in his waist and turned around thoughtfully. Where could the rose only be? His look fell on a steel door in the back part of the lab. Maybe there. Determined he went to the door that wasn't only a door but a part of some kind of airlock – and that moreover was looked. And it looked as if they needed a security code to open it. Crap. Schuldig looked through the little window of the door into the sparsely lit room. He couldn't see very much, there was a computer terminal, some cupboards and some tools. And then he saw it. There, on one of the tables, stood Ran's rose. And although the room was only semi dark Schuldig could see that Ran hadn't exaggerated. The rose was really special. Even with that sparse light he could see it iridescent and changing colours.

"Ran," Schuldig called quietly, "come here!" But Ran didn't answer. Schuldig turned around but couldn't see him anywhere. "Ran!" he called again, louder this time.

"What's up?" Ran's head appeared behind one of the bench.

Schuldig breathed a sigh of relief. "I found the rose," he called to the Weiß.

Ran stood and quickly went to Schuldig.

"It's in there," Schuldig said and pointed at the door. "But the door is looked, we need a code." Schuldig pointed at the key pad of the lock. Ran shortly looked through the window of the door, then he focused on the lock. Then he fetched a little tool out of the pocket of his coat and connected it quickly to the pin pad.

"One of Omi's gimmicks," he said to Schuldig with a little smile. "Always useful."

"Where you lucky with the safe?" Schuldig asked.

Ran shook his head silently. "But I didn't really expect that the safe would be in this easy accessible room," he added, "It's probably inside this room." He pointed with a nod to the steel door that they just tried to open. Finally the tool showed the needed combination, Ran tapped it into the pad and the door opened.

Schuldig ran to the rose and lifted the flowerpot. "See, nothing happened to your baby," he said and turned around to Ran.

But Ran already searched the room for the safe. "You should better help me," he told Schuldig.

Schuldig put the rose down again and helped Ran to search the room. Finally Ran found the safe that was embedded into the floor. Immediately he started to open it and Schuldig knelt beside him and watched Ran.

This safe was just like the door – it was much more difficult to crack than the one in Gänseblümchen's office and so it took a while before Ran could finally open it. He shortly paused and looked at Schuldig. "Cross your fingers," he said and opened the safe. And there the compact disks downright piled up.

"And which one is the right one?" Schuldig asked at a loss.

Ran shrugged. "We simply take each one," he said and pulled a bag out of the pockets of his wide coat.

Schuldig looked at him surprised. "Are you always prepared for everything?"

"Of course," was the matter-of-fact answer.

Schuldig shook his head amused. He should have expected it of his little maniac for housework. Quickly they packed every CD in the bag, that Ran tied up and threw over his shoulder. Schuldig stood, fetched the rose and already wanted to leave the room when Ran grabbed his arm.

"Wait a moment," Ran said and went to the computer terminal. He started the computer and when it was powered up he pushed a disk which he had pulled out of the fathomless pockets of his coat into the drive.

"What's that?" Schuldig asked and came closer.

Ran looked up at him. "One of Omi's favourite computer virus. To make sure that nothing of the formula remains. Besides, the virus is going to spread through the whole system – that will throw back Gänseblümchen's plans to conquer the world a bit," he said with an evil little glitter in his eyes.

Schuldig raised his eyebrow. "Kätzchen," he said appreciating, "you can be really mean. And I like it."

When Ran finished to load the virus he removed the disk and switched off the computer. Then they left the secured room.

But unfortunately the outer lab wasn't empty any more. Schuldig and Ran stopped abruptly. They faced three armed opponents who waited for them with pulled out weapons.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" asked another man who stood in the background.

Ran cursed quietly. "That's Gänseblümchen," he whispered to Schuldig.

So that was him. The famous-notorious Gänseblümchen. Didn't really look that dangerous. Pretty short. Schuldig wasn't really impressed. The three killer-flowers however – because the other three could only be Primrose, Marigold and Dandelion – could rather get more dangerous.

Schuldig drew his gun and pointed it at Primrose – or was that Dandelion? He had no idea, and to say the truth, he didn't really care. Ran had drawn his katana meanwhile too and held it in front of him.

"Let us go and nothing will happen to you," Schuldig shouted to their four opponents.

Gänseblümchen started to laugh. "What do you think with whom you're dealing with, peewee?" he asked coughing.

Peewee? That broken off garden gnome called Schuldig 'peewee'? When Schuldig could spit on his head without having to stretch?

"It looks more like you don't know with whom you're dealing with. We'll have a walk-over with your killer-flowers," Schuldig said as patronising as he only could.

Gänseblümchen didn't seem to be very impressed. "And with whom are we dealing with?" Damn, he sounded much more patronising than Schuldig had managed.

"I'm – uh – Catnip and that's Fleißiges Lieschen beside me. We were send to cut you down," Schuldig said and tried to ignore Ran's angry side-glances. (2)

Gänseblümchen narrowed his eyes. "Enough jokes. Kill them. But be careful that nothing happens to the rose," he ordered his three killers.

Marigold – or was it Primrose? – jumped at Schuldig while the other two turned to Ran. Schuldig fired a shot but he was handicapped by the rose in his other hand and so he only grazed his attacker. Quickly he set the rose down on the floor and also attacked his opponent. Some kicks and hits were exchanged but no one could get the upper hand. Till Schuldig had enough and simply jumped at his attacker and knocked him down the floor. A quick hit and Dandelion – or was it Marigold? Damn, they all looked alike! – was out cold.

Schuldig cast a look at Ran but he was getting along quite well, one of his opponents was already knocked out and the other on would follow soon. Schuldig stood and grabbed the rose. Then he pointed his gun at Gänseblümchen, but he had already slipped away. Crap.

"Hurry, we have to go," Ran called, who meanwhile had finished with the last killer-floret too. He grabbed the bag with the CDs that he had put down during the fight and ran to the elevator.

"Damn, how did they detect us?" Schuldig followed him close by.

"No idea," Ran shouted back over his shoulder, "Maybe we set off some hidden alarm in the office or the lab."

They stopped in front of the elevator shaft. Schuldig looked down thinking. "Climbing would take too long," he said, "I think we can take the stairs as well, after all we don't have to worry about discovery any more." He ran a little farther, tore open the door to the staircase and ran down as fast as he could. Ran followed him hot on his trail.

Arriving downstairs they ran through the underground parking outside. They didn't worry about the security cameras too, speed was the only thing that counted right now. When they finally reached Ran's Porsche they stopped and propped gasping at the car.

Ran was the first who recovered his breath again. He removed his mask and cast Schuldig an angry glare. "Fleißiges Lieschen?" he asked furiously.

Schuldig grinned excusatory. "Was the only thing that crossed my mind quickly. And I could hardly give him our real names!"

The return proceeded in silence. Ran didn't react to any of Schuldig's attempts to start a conversation. And besides, Ran was driving way too slow to Schuldig's liking. He needed speed right now! He needed action! He was still completely psyched and couldn't sit still. This was the real life! This intoxication, this exaltation that he always felt when he successfully accomplished a mission! Others could say what they wanted but adrenaline was the best of all drugs.

Arrived at the flower shop Schuldig pondered what he could do now. He was way to exhilarated to sit down somewhere and maybe look through some boring disks right now. Maybe he could persuade Ran to hang out with him, at a bar or a disco or…

He just turned around to Ran to suggest it when Ran jumped at him, twined his arms around Schuldig's neck and his legs around Schuldig's hips, pressed his lips on Schuldig's and kissed him deep and passionately.

Schuldig staggered some steps back, found his balance again and closed his arms around Ran. 'Alright,' he thought and returned the kiss, 'that would have been my next suggestion.'

* * *

(1) Warzenkaktus: uh, didn't know how to translate this – literally translated it would be 'wart-cactus'

(2) Fleißiges Lieschen: didn't find a translation for that flower – literally translated it means 'hard-working Lieschen' (Lieschen is the affectionate form of a female forename)


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** The War of the Roses  
**Author:** Zanna  
**Disclaimer & warnings:** see chapter 1  
**Beta:** Laren (the very best beta 'g')

**A/N:** Sigh, I'm sorry again. It took me so long to update - again. What can I say - I'm too busy. Hope you don't mind, enjoy the chapter anyway and leave me a review! ;-)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Ran dug his hands deeper into Schuldig's hair and pressed tighter against his body. The break-in, the fight and the following escape had caused an excited exaltation in Ran. And although he had tried to calm down during their drive home he nevertheless had been totally psyched when they finally arrived home. And somehow he needed to get rid of all that pent-up energy.

And then there had been Schuldig. Schuldig, whit whom he had formed a surprisingly good team today. Schuldig, whose mere sight aroused him unbelievingly. Schuldig, who he wanted more than anything else in the world right now. And so he simply had ignored every possible objection and given in to his desire.

Ran moaned when he felt Schuldig's kneading hands on his ass. He pushed his tongue into the alien mouth and explored it, tasted it and caressed the velvety tongue that met his. Panting Ran let go of Schuldig's mouth and made his way down his chin to his neck and back up to his ear. He found the earlobe, took it into his mouth and started to suck and nibble it affectionately and elicited a choked moan from Schuldig. Ran smiled. Apparently Schu liked it!

Slowly Ran's mouth caressed it's way down again till he reached the sensitive throat and sucked it. One of Schuldig's hands wandered trembling to the front and fumbled with Ran's pants.

Ooooh no! Ran stopped immediately to suck on Schuldig's throat. Not so fast! He relaxed the clasp of his legs a little bit and put first one, then the other leg down on the floor. This time he would set the speed!

He grabbed Schuldig's hands and stepped one step back. Schuldig looked at him questioningly.

"Not yet," Ran said, ran up the stairs and took Schuldig with him. Arrived in his room he stopped and turned to Schuldig again. With a jolt he tore open Schuldig's shirt so that the buttons flew in every direction and took it off. Then he let his hands wander over Schuldig's naked chest slowly and enjoying, followed every line and every muscle.

Schuldig grasped and grabbed again for Ran to undress and caress him too, but Ran kept hold of his hands again. "No," he shook his head.

"No?" asked Schuldig stunned.

Ran smiled slightly. "Today I'm saying what's going to happen. You're not allowed to touch me. Or else I stop immediately."

Schuldig groaned. "Raaaan..."

"You decide," Ran said and licked lightly at Schuldig's nipple, "shall I stop or go on?"

Schuldig closed his eyes agonised and clenched his fists, but let them hanging on his side. "Go on," he groaned.

Ran smiled triumphantly, pushed Schuldig back on the bed and sat down beside him. Slowly he let his hands wander over Schuldig's arms up to his shoulders. He started at the throat again, sucked, nibbled and kissed his way slowly down till he reached the sensitive nipples again. He circled one of them with his tongue provocatively till it contracted and hardened, while his hand did the same with the other nipple.

Then Ran opened Schuldig's pants and pushed it slowly down. He raised one eyebrow. "No underwear?" he asked Schuldig, but didn't wait for his answer and took the pants completely off. Then he sat back and absorbed the sight in front of him. Schu's body was simply – breathtaking!

Schuldig had slightly raised again and looked begging at Ran. "Kätzchen..." he begged and stretched out his hand for him.

Ran shook his head again smiling. "No touching," he said and got off the bed, "or do I have to tie you up again?"

Schuldig sighed and let his hand fall down again. Then Ran started to undress. Although he could hardly hold out any longer and would have loved to jump at Schuldig he opened his shirt button for button and let it slide down his arms slowly. Shortly after his pants and boxers followed till he was standing naked in front of the bed.

He approached Schuldig again, who was staring at him with lust-clouded eyes and breathed heavily. Ran kneeled on the bed beside him, lowered his head and nibbled lazily at Schuldig's belly till he found the belly-button. He dipped his tongue inside and nibbled it till Schuldig panted. Lower and lower Ran wandered, let Schuldig tremble with expectation, till he finally reached his goal. Slowly he licked the underside of Schuldig's erection, circled the tip with his tongue and finally took it completely into his mouth.

"Kätzchen," Schuldig groaned when Ran's mouth started to move up and down rhythmically till his orgasm finally signalised and Schu climaxed into Ran's mouth.

Eagerly Ran swallowed everything and licked Schu's cock clean. Then he climbed up Schu's body to kiss him. He stroked Schu's back with one hand, kneaded his ass, caressed the crevice and felt how Schuldig stiffened in his arms.

Ran interrupted the kiss. "Schu?" he asked an caressed the crevice again.

Schuldig opened his eyes, met Ran's questioning look and smiled lightly. "Kätzchen," he said and kissed Ran lightly on his lips, "you say what's going to happen. I'm completely yours."

For some moments Ran only stared at him, then he closed his mouth with a passionate kiss again. Blindly he reached for the lube that was still lying on his bedside table. He opened it and coated his fingers without ending the kiss.

Carefully he inserted on finger into Schuldig's tight opening. Schuldig grasped and interrupted the kiss. Ran added a second finger, fumbled a little bit and smiled satisfied when he found Schuldig's sweet spot and Schuldig groaned, "Ran!", arched his back and tried to push farther down on Ran's fingers. When Ran thought Schu to be widened enough he put lube on his own cock and started to push slowly into him. Finally sunken to the hilt in Schuldig's hot tightness he paused for a moment gasping and just looked into Schu's bright green eyes that looked at him intently.

Schuldig pulled Ran down to kiss him and Ran started to move. He pulled out almost completely, just to bury himself deep in Schu again. Schuldig met every one of his thrusts passionately and Ran slightly altered the angle till he hit with each thrust that spot inside Schuldig that made him moan ecstatically. Ran reached down for Schu's returned erection and massaged it in sync till Schuldig reached his orgasm with a panted "Kätzchen!" and climaxed on his belly. Schuldig's inner muscles contracted around Ran and that pushed him over the edge too and shouting Schu's name Ran reached his climax.

* * *

Schuldig zapped bored through the channels. Talk show, talk show, court show, soap opera, talk show, tele shop, talk show, teletubbies. Yawn! Since Ran had kicked him out of the lab some hours ago he had been trying to entertain himself somehow. But unfortunately it hadn't worked. The kitten back in the lab was the only thing that really interested him. But his Ran didn't want him there now. Allegedly Schuldig disturbed him too much. Pah! Pouting Schuldig crossed his arms in front of his chest.

He had really tried very hard, had helped Ran to look through those yawning boring disks, had waited patiently when Ran finally looked through the right one, he even had listened to the speech about blocked synapses and the functionality of the marionette-drug like a good little boy! Of course he had completely zoned out mentally during Ran's first mentioning of potential reversion (1) and neurotransmitters. Maybe he should have paid more attention in his biology classes.

And then Ran had started to brood over the formula and Schuldig had been just a little bit bored. So he had started to caress and massaged Ran's neck – completely unselfish and without any ulterior motives of course, he only had wanted to prevent his kitten getting too tensed! And at first Ran hadn't been averse to it at all, he had relaxed and actually almost started to purr. And so Schuldig's hands had wandered a little bit more and eventual Ran had been lying on one of the tables, Schuldig on top of him and they had kissed wildly and had been short of tearing their clothes of each other.

And then suddenly, out of the blue, Ran had pushed Schuldig away and said he had to work now and Schuldig shouldn't disturb him any more! And had left behind a completely unsatisfied Schuldig! How mean! But had Schuldig complained? Oh no, he had sat down on his chair again, really well-behaved, and watched Ran working at the formula. And he had sighed a little bit. And then sighed again. Ran had cast him a side glance, but hadn't said anything. So Schuldig had sighed a third time.

For some time it had been completely silent and Schuldig had started to hum his current favourite song, to distract himself a little. Yeah, maybe he had tapped the rhythm on the table, but that couldn't have been THAT bad, could it? Anyway, Ran had growled a threatening "Schuldig!" and Schuldig had stopped. And then he had sighed again. And then Ran had pushed him out of the lab, closed the door in front of his face and said, he was only allowed to come back when Ran had finished with the antidote because Schuldig was distracting him too much! If that wasn't a completely unjustified accusation, what else would be?

Why couldn't Ran have been so soft and cuddly like this morning? When Schuldig had woken up Ran had been still lying snuggled against him in bed and had been sleeping. And he had been able to wake his kitten like he had wanted the morning before. Schuldig smiled remembering Ran's passionate reaction to he wake-up call. He would surely do it more often in future!

Just a moment, what was he thinking? In future? Could there actually be a future for them? If Ran would really succeed in creating the antidote and Schuldig would get back his telepathy then he would return to Schwarz. After all, that was what he wanted. Wasn't it? But then he and Ran would be standing on different sides again. And Schuldig wanted by no means that he and his kitten would be enemies again. He didn't want to give up this relationship.

Relationship? Schuldig gasped. Since when did he think of him and Ran being in a relationship? Schuldig had never relationships, with no one! And still, every time he thought of Ran he didn't only see the present. He thought ahead. He imagined what their relationship – there, there was that evil word again! – would be like in one years time. Somehow Ran appeared in all his thoughts about the future. And not as an enemy.

But when he didn't want to lose ran then he had to resign his life as Schwarz. Even if that wasn't quite so simple, you couldn't simply quit at Schwarz. Schuldig sighed deeply. That was the reason why he had been avoiding every relationship till now. They made life so awfully complicated! Reluctant to keep on thinking about it Schuldig switched off the TV and stood. What else could he do to distract himself?

Restless he paced up and down. Maybe he should examine the Weiß HQ a little more thorough. It would be really interesting to know how the other kittens lived. Maybe he would found something to distract himself. Grinning Schuldig ran upstairs. Curiously he simply chose one of the door and opened it.

The room was suspiciously tidy and Schuldig suspected that his little maniac for housework already had been here before he had disturbed him in his house-cleaning some days ago. After a quick search he decided that this had to be Omi's room. The clothes inside the wardrobe looked alarmingly like those Ran had given him two days ago. He turned to the shelf where a lot of mangas stood. Arranged in alphabetically order. How boring. For some time Schuldig amused himself to rearrange the mangas by their colour, but that was quickly accomplished.

'Well,' Schuldig put his arms on his hips and looked around pondering, 'where would a teenager hide the real interesting stuff?' His gaze fell on the bed. Schuldig went to it and lifted the mattress. Aha! Just like he had guessed! Omi had hidden a nice little stack of mangas between the frame and the mattress. Grinning Schuldig reached for them and took them.

'Uuuuhhhh…' Schuldig's eyes widened when he saw the covers of the nearly twenty mangas. He never would have thought something like that of Omi!

"Zettai Reido," he read, "SM Boys Love – Slave & Master Comic for Girls."

Comics for girls? Omi read comics for girls? Well, no wonder he was hiding them under his mattress! Completely lost in his thoughts Schuldig started to scroll through the mangas. 'Omi, Omi, Omi, mangas for girls – huh, really hot pictures – but nevertheless, which true boy is reading something like this – oh wow, I should try this one with Ran – just without the whips.'

Schuldig closed the mangas again and just wanted to put them back under the mattress when he got an idea. Grinning he carried the stack to the shelf and sorted it – colour-coordinated of course – between the other, more innocent mangas.

'I would love to see Omi's face when he discovers them there,' he thought mischievous. Pleased with his mission he left the room and opened the next door.

The room was comparatively tidy, here and there some clothes were lying around, but compared to his own chaos Schuldig didn't think it really bad. He opened some drawers and the wardrobe and decided that this had to be Yoji's room. Who else would own so much custom-made designer clothes and hair care products? Schuldig started to search the room more thoroughly and finally found a wooden box in the hindmost corner of the wardrobe.

Curiously he pulled the box out and tried to open it. Locked. Pondering Schuldig looked at the lock. Should be quite easy to crack it. Searching he looked around, just now he had seen… Ah yes, there on Yoji's bedside table lay some hair pins. Schuldig grabbed one of them and a few seconds later the lock was open and Schuldig cast a first look into the box – and tore his eyes wide open.

For minutes he was simply sitting there, with dropped down jaw and bulging eyes and couldn't believe what he was seeing. After his discoveries in Omi's room he had expected the world biggest collection of porn, because if even the small, innocent Omi read mangas like that what would Tokyo's lady-killer number one hide in his wardrobe? Schuldig shook his head horror-stricken. Still stunned he reached into the box and fetched one of the crochet-doilies.

The whole box was full of it. Crochet-doilies, tambour frames, knitting needles, wool and everything else that included. Yoji Kudou, passionate playboy, made handiworks in his spare time. And he wasn't speaking of that sort of handiwork that could be done in the shower. Schuldig shuddered. That was almost too creepy. Quickly he locked the box again, stored it where he had found it and left the room.

What left only the room of Ken. 'Well, I'm really anxious to see what secrets the soccer-freak is keeping,' Schuldig thought and opened the door. Unlike the other rooms it was pretty dark because of the heavy curtains that hung in front of the windows and shut out the light. Schuldig could see some more or less small heaps on the floor, but couldn't exactly see what they were. He was just carefully paving the way to the window when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. Schuldig just managed to protectively raise his hands when something big and dark lunged at him.

* * *

Finally! That was the break-through! Ran was really excited. He had succeeded! Luckily Warzenkaktus had already started to create an antidote on his own – apparently as insurance against Gänseblümchen – so that Ran hadn't had to do so much. He only had had to finish the formula and the antidote was ready. Every simulation on the computer – he had found the program on one of the disks as well – promised a positive result and they had all the required chemicals stocked. Now he only had to make the antidote and then Schu could get back his abilities. The thought sobered Ran immediately. If Schuldig was able to read thoughts again he would return to Schwarz. And that would be the end. They would be enemies again. Just like before.

No, not exactly like before because this time Ran would have not at all hostile feelings for one of their enemies. He sighed. Just for a moment he played with the thought to withhold the antidote, to say that he hadn't been able to create it, but then he scolded himself immediately. He wouldn't be so selfish! He wouldn't make Schu unhappy just to keep him a little bit longer! Concentrated Ran started to work.

Ran just finished the production when he suddenly heard a panicked cry. Schuldig! Ran stormed out of the lab and shouted, "Schu! What's up?" but he didn't get an answer. The only thing he heard was a choked gargle and something that sounded suspiciously like battle sounds. And it came from upstairs. Quickly he ran up the stairs but before he could call for Schuldig again the door to Ken's room was torn open, Schuldig stormed out, slammed the door shut and leaned against it panting.

"Schu!" Ran called concerned and slowly approached him.

Schuldig raised his head and stared at him with big frightened eyes. "There… there… there… Something inside there attacked me," he stammered horror-stricken. "It was big and soft and it wrapped around my face and tried to choke me!" A shudder ran over Schuldig's body.

Ran paused. Big and soft? Had tried to choke him? That sounded familiar. He grinned. So Schuldig had met the new intelligent life form, formerly known as Ken's gym trousers.

Schuldig scowled at him. "What's so funny about that? I could have been killed! What's Hidaka breeding in there? Huge killer-bats?"

Ran's grin got bigger. "Something like that," he answered. "Maybe I should have warned you not to go unarmed into Ken's room."

Schuldig stared at him outraged for some moments more then he stomped past him down the stairs and mumbled something into his inexistent beard. Ran couldn't understand more than "… everyone totally nuts… typical… why me…" but that was enough. Giggling he followed Schuldig downstairs.

"Wait," he called – still giggling – after Schuldig. "Schu! I'm finished."

Schuldig stopped in front of the living room and turned around. "You're finished? With what?"

Ran rolled his eyes. "With the antidote, what else?"

Schuldig's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. "It's finished? And I can try it right now? Is that possible?"

Ran nodded. Schuldig went exhilarated to him, placed a big kiss right on Ran's mouth, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the lab.

Arrived there Schuldig looked around expectantly. "Where is it?" he asked excited.

Ran went to one of the tables where a tray for test-tubes stood. He took one of the test-tubes that was closed with a little cork. "Here," he said and gave it Schuldig. "Pull out the cork and inhale the vapour. But Schu," Ran hesitated shortly and waited till Schuldig looked at him. "I can't promise anything. I don't know if it's going to work. Maybe the antidote don't work at all or I did something wrong or…" He stopped speaking and shrugged helplessly.

Schuldig looked at him and then he pulled the cork slowly out of the test-tube and inhaled the emerging vapours. When nothing came out any more he laid it aside.

Ran looked at him expectantly. "Well?" he asked. "Does it work?"

Schuldig looked at him hesitantly. "I don't know. I feel just like before. Maybe if I concentrate more." With these words Schuldig closed his eyes and frowned.

Ran watched him. 'Schu,' he thought, 'I… I think I love you.' Anxiously he held his breath. Had Schu read his thoughts? But it didn't appear to be so, Schuldig still had his eyes closed and his frown had deepened. Ran couldn't stand it any more. "Schu?" he asked hesitantly. Schuldig opened his eyes and looked at him. "Did you – could you read what I thought?"

Schuldig exhaled frustrated. "No," he said crestfallen, "I couldn't read anything. Not the slightest thought. It didn't work."

For a moment Ran thought to see tears in his eyes but Schuldig blinked a few times and quickly turned his head to the side.

"I'm so sorry, Schu. I – maybe it simply takes some time till the antidote takes effect." Ran felt really terrible. He had raised Schuldig's hopes and now it hadn't worked.

Schuldig looked at him again and gave him a sad little smile. "Don't twit yourself, Ran," he said. "You tried after all. That was more I could hope for. I simply have to get used that I'm not a telepath any more. That I'm now as – normal as everyone else."

"Schu," sympathetic Ran stepped closer to the German to take him into his arms consoling but Schuldig quickly stepped back.

"I – the fight with Hidaka's monster was pretty sweaty. I think I'm going to take a shower now," he said, turned around and shuffled out of the lab. The last thing Ran heard from him was a silently mumbled, "To drown myself there."

* * *

(1) Someone out there who knows something about synapses and all that? I didn't find the correct translation for that word (that would require a specialised dictionary and I don't own one) so I translated it literally. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** The War of the Roses  
**Author:** Zanna  
**Disclaimer:** see chapter 1  
**Beta:** Laren

**A/N:** Wow, I got my first Review That The World Don't Need! I too like Schu x Ran better than the other way round, but anyone who can't tolerate a little Ran x Schu action - please go and read some other stories!

Enough of this, thanks to all who reviewed (except the person I mentioned above). This is the last chapter of the story - but there's also a sequel to this story, so if you liked 'The War of the Roses' and want to read the sequel too, tell me and then I will translate it too.

"speech"  
'thoughts'  
/telepathy/

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Schuldig stood in the shower, let the warm water beat against his head and was thinking. How should he do it? The easiest way would surely be if he tilted his head back and inhaled the water. Immediately he put his idea into action, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, inhaled deeply – and started at once to cough and to spit. So no drowning in the shower!

'That was a stupid idea anyway,' Schuldig thought scowling.

And he didn't really want to kill himself actually. And it wasn't because the loss of his telepathy suddenly left him cold, he was really sad and depressed because of it. But this loss wasn't a reason for him to end his life any more. During the last days he had found out that he got along really well without his power as well. Hey, he had shown these killer-florets after all, hadn't he?

And then there was Ran. Although he couldn't read Ran's thoughts Schuldig had gotten closer to him than to anyone else ever before. God, he even was thinking in terms of a relationship concerning Ran and that without the urgent need to run away kicking and screaming! He would get along without his telepathy, above all when he had his kitten. But it was difficult nevertheless! He felt as if he had gone blind suddenly and had to find his way in the darkness. That was so unfair!

Schuldig was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the opening of the door to the shower. When suddenly two arms wrapped around him from behind and a voice whispered in his ear, "Do you mind if I join you?" Schuldig startled and cried out surprised. A meanwhile well-known body pressed at him from behind.

"Tsk, I would never have thought that you're that jumpy," Ran giggled at his panicked reaction.

"I'm not jumpy!" Schuldig said indignantly.

"Oh," Ran said, "then it was someone else who cried like a little girl just now."

Schuldig could almost feel Ran's grin. "Are you making fun of me?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," Ran assured him, "ok, maybe a little." He was giggling again. "But actually I'm here to cheer you up a bit," he continued, caressed slowly Schuldig's chest and brushed over one nipple as if accidentally.

Schuldig closed his eyes and let his head fall back on Ran's shoulder. All he could still notice were Ran's hands on his body that touched him everywhere, caressed, teased and drove him slowly into madness. With a growl he turned around in Ran's embrace, pressed the younger one to him and took possession of his mouth. His tongue dipped deep into the warm cavern, played with it's counterpart and made Ran groan.

Breathless Schuldig broke off the kiss and leant his head on Ran's forehead. He was almost painfully hard, and when Ran kept on rubbing at him provokingly he wouldn't be able to control himself any longer.

"Kätzchen..." he gasped, "I can't hold back any longer..."

"Then don't," came the whispered answer at his ear.

With a jerk Schuldig turned Ran to the wall and bent him slightly forward so that he was leaning with his hands on the wall. While Schuldig caressed Ran's soft ass with one hand he grabbed with the other hand for the shower gel, coated his fingers with it, brought them to Ran's opening and pushed one inside. Carefully he widened the tight ring, inserted a second and finally a third one.

Encouraged by Ran's groans he pulled his fingers out again, coated his cock with the shower gel and entered Ran carefully. When he finally was sunken to the hilt Schuldig paused shortly to give Ran some time to get used to him. He rested against his lover and pressed his face into his neck. So tight! So hot! His kitten was simply perfect!

Ran pushed his hips slightly back to take Schuldig even deeper inside him, and Schuldig's self-control was gone. He started to move, slowly at first but then getting faster. Ran adjusted to his rhythm and met each of his thrusts and finally Schuldig found that special spot that made his kitten arch his back, throw his head back and groan a drawn-out "Schuuuuuuu..."

Schuldig felt his orgasm approaching, reached around Ran, grabbed his erection and pumped it in speed of his thrusts. With a relieved cry Ran reached his climax and Schuldig followed shortly after that and emptied himself into Ran.

For some time they were simply standing there, panting, pressed together and still joined while the water pattered down on them silently.

"Wow..." Schuldig finally managed to say. Carefully he pulled out of Ran, turned him around, embraced him and kissed him slightly on his mouth. "Well, I really prefer this method of cheering me up to the last one," he said and looked smiling into Ran's eyes.

Ran snickered. "I've been thinking about it for a moment if I shouldn't revert to Omi's clothes..."

Schuldig moaned horror-stricken. "Please not! Once was already way too much!"

Ran wrapped his arms around his neck. "Did it work? Are you feeling better?"

"Hmmmm," Schuldig pretended to think about it.

Ran grinned at him. "We could repeat it of course, just to make sure."

Schuldig's eyes beamed. "I hoped you would say that," he called joyfully and turned off the shower. Then he snatched Ran, threw him over his shoulder and carried him into his bedroom from which they didn't reappear for the rest of the day and the whole night.

* * *

"Raaaaan!"

Slowly Ran opened his eyes and stretched. He had slept really wonderful. And quite long as he noticed with a look on the clock. But that was no wonder, Schuldig had kept him awake almost the whole night after all. Ran smiled at that memory. Schu could be so passionate, wild and unrestrained, but also tender, playful and affectionate! He had proven it last night. If Ran wouldn't have loved him already he would do so since yesterday at the latest. No matter if wild and fast or sweet and affectionate, they had had more than sex yesterday. They had made love.

And Ran had decided to simply tell Schuldig what he felt for him. But unfortunately Schuldig had fallen asleep before Ran could get enough brain cells together from his last orgasm to say a complete sentence. But that didn't matter. He would tell him first thing in the morning, as soon as Schuldig would wake up. For the moment Ran wanted to simply enjoy lying there nestled with his back to his lover.

"Raaaaan, we're baaaaack!"

Oh no! Startled Ran sat up in bed without paying attention to the protest that Schuldig murmured in his sleep. That had been Omi's voice!

"Raaaaan, where are you?"

Why were they back again? The EBOLA wasn't finished yet! Yoji, Ken and Omi shouldn't have come back till tomorrow! Ran had thought he would have a little time left to think of a way he could tell the others of Schu! What should he do now?

Before Ran could come to a decision the door to his room flung open and Omi stormed inside.

"Ran, are you – oh, there you are!" Omi smiled shortly at him before he called over his shoulder, "He's up here in his bed!"

Ran cast a quick side glance at Schuldig, but he had coiled up under the blanket and was hidden by Ran so that he couldn't be seen from Omi's point of view.

"Ran's still in bed?" Yoji called from the hallway. "At this time of day? Is he ill?" With these words Yoji and Ken too walked into Ran's room.

"No, I'm not ill, and I would be really grateful if you would go outside now so that I can get clothed" Ran tried to sound as normal as possible.

"But why are you still in bed if you're not ill?" Ken asked curiously, "Normally you get up at sunrise."

No one of the three made any attempt to leave Ran's room, on the contrary, they all waited curiously for Ran's answer.

"That's none of your business!" Ran hissed angrily. "And now get lost already!"

"Do you want to get rid of us by any chance?" Yoji asked with a provocative grin.

"You got it, Yoji. And now get out!"

Still no one was moving.

Ran sighed. "What are you doing here already? You were not to come back till tomorrow!"

"Oh Ran, you won't believe it!" Omi called excited, "But there was a gigantic riot yesterday! Someone broke into FlowerPower the day before yesterday and the thieves apparently had stolen the complete results of their research of the last years! Gänseblümchen appeared at the EBOLA yesterday afternoon, raged around and accused the board members of the association to set those thieves on him only to push him out of business! He threw things around and destroyed quite a few samples before his three minions could calm him down and take him away! You should have seen it, Ran!"

Omi grinned at Ran and he returned the grin. "Oh yes, I would have liked to see that!"

Yoji, who had been staring at Ran's neck the whole time during Omi's story, suddenly started laughing out loudly. Omi, Ken and Ran too looked at him puzzled.

"What's up, Yoji?" Ken asked. Yoji just shook his head and kept on laughing.

"Yoji?" Omi too asked worried.

"Now I know..." Yoji gasped still laughing, "Now I know why Ran wants to get rid of us!"

Ran narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah?" he asked suspiciously.

Yoji nodded. "There! On his neck!" he grinned and waved in Ran's direction.

Omi and Ken directed their gazes on Ran too and suddenly Omi's eyes widened astonished whereas Ken only asked, "What's with his neck?"

"There's a hickey!" Yoji's grin reached from one ear to the other now.

A hickey! Ran gasped and touched his neck with his right hand.

"Other side!" Yoji giggled and really seemed to have a lot of fun.

Quickly Ran changed the hand and blushed. Just when had Schuldig given him that hickey?

"So that's it, our big leader sends us to this boring exhibition just to have some lazy days with his girlfriend!" Yoji was in his element.

Ran shook his head averting.

"Or is it a boyfriend?" Yoji broached the subject again.

Ran's shade of red only deepened.

Yoji laughed and said, "HA! I knew it! You don't need to be embarrassed, Ran! Who is it? Do we know him?"

Ran opened his mouth to throw the three trouble makers out of his room with some definite words but unluckily Schuldig chose exactly this moment to wake up.

With a quiet sigh Schuldig lolled, and when the other Weiß members saw the outstretched arms that appeared beneath the blanket their eyes widened surprised.

Yoji called cheerfully, "Is he still here? Ran, old philanderer, you really do surprise me!"

Ken and Omi started to grin broadly too. However, not for long, because when Schuldig sat up, murmured a quiet "Morning Kätzchen," and breathed a kiss on Ran's shoulder they all lost their speech.

Ran couldn't suppress a giggle. As embarrassing that whole scene was – and he would have loved to crawl into the next mouse hole – he wouldn't have wanted to miss that sight for the life of him. Yoji, Ken and Omi stood there, open-mouthed and with an identical expression of surprised horror on their face.

Apparently Schuldig meanwhile had noticed the other three too, because Ran heard a murmured "Uh-oh," at his ear. However, Schuldig didn't sound really worried.

Amazingly it was Ken, who found his voice again first. "Ma... Ma... Ma..." he stammered.

"Mastermind," Schuldig confirmed and continued then grinning, "Very good! Recognised on the first try! 100 points for the candidate!"

Meanwhile the other two had recovered from the surprise too and Yoji called, "Ran! What are you doing with Mastermind in your bed?"

Ran closed his eyes. He wanted to pull the blanket over his head and pretend that he wasn't there at all.

"Tsk, Balinese, I wouldn't have thought that it has to be explained to you of all people!" Schuldig's amused voice sounded.

"Shut up, Mastermind!" Yoji replied brusquely before he continued, "Omi, go and fetch our weapons!"

Ran opened his eyes again. "Omi, you're staying here," he ordered briefly. Omi looked with big eyes from Yoji to Ran and back again, but didn't move.

"Ran!" Yoji shouted appalled, "Wake up! He must have affected or manipulated you somehow! He is a Schwarz, dammit! He's the enemy!"

Ran shook his head. "He didn't manipulate me and he also isn't our enemy. I... I would have liked for you to learn of Schuldig and I another way, but we can't change that now. But I won't allow you to hurt him in any case!" Ran glared at the other three Weiß members warningly and wrapped his arm protectively around Schuldig's waist.

Yoji, Ken and Omi looked at each other helplessly. "But..." Yoji wanted to contradict again but was interrupted by Schuldig.

"Ran is right," he said. The three Weiß turned their gazes at him. "I'm not your enemy any more. And I'm not a Schwarz any more, too. I didn't give notice officially yet," he pulled a face at these words, "but I won't go back to Schwarz in any case."

Now all Weiß members were looking at him surprised, Ran too. Schuldig didn't want to go back to Schwarz? When had he decided that? And why hadn't he told Ran about it? If Schu didn't want to go back to Schwarz then it meant that Ran wouldn't lose him! Hope made Ran's heart beat faster. Maybe he did mean something to Schu! After all, he wanted to give up Schwarz for him!

But... but was that the real reason for Schuldig's decision? Or was he doing it only because he thought that without his telepathy he was of no use for Schwarz anyway? At that moment Ran really wished he would be able to read thoughts. Then he wouldn't sway between hope and fear now.

"You're not a member of Schwarz any more?" Again it was Ken, who spoke first. "Since when?"

Schuldig seemed to think for a moment, then he answered, "Since four days ago, I think."

Ran again looked at him surprised. Four days! Four days ago Schuldig had broken into their headquarters! Ran's heartbeat sped up again. Maybe... maybe...

"And how long is it going on between you and Mastermind?" Yoji asked Ran with narrowed eyes.

Ran directed his gaze on his team colleagues again. "Since four days ago," he answered calmly. Yoji narrowed his eyes more and pressed his lips together, but didn't say anything more.

"Oh please!" Schuldig snorted suddenly, "That's a really good idea, but you can believe me that Schwarz has nothing to do with it, Balinese!"

Yoji's gaze jerked on Schuldig. "Keep out of my head, Mastermind!" he hissed. Ran looked surprised at Yoji. Schuldig should keep out of Yoji's head? But...

A look at Schuldig showed him that he was as amazed as Ran. But slowly the astonished expression disappeared and Schuldig started to grin.

"It's working again," he murmured. Then he directed his gaze at Ran and beamed at him. "It's working again!" he called again, louder this time and jumped at Ran. They fell back into the pillows and Schuldig peppered Ran's face with feather-light kisses. "You did it, Ran! I can read thoughts again!" he said breathless between the kisses.

Ran tried to fend Schuldig off, after all the other three Weiß members were still standing in the room, but Schu couldn't be stopped in his enthusiasm. And hmmmm, if he continued like that then Ran wouldn't care any more who was standing in this room and who not. Schuldig meanwhile had wandered to Ran's neck and covered it too with small, light kisses. Ran rolled his eyes and moaned silently.

Stop! Stop! Ran gasped and tried to keep a clear mind. "Schu," he said and tried to push Schuldig off of him. He certainly wouldn't sleep with Schuldig while Yoji, Ken and Omi were watching them with wide opened eyes and mouths! "Schu!" he repeated a little louder and pressed against his shoulders.

But Schuldig didn't seem to listen, and Ran was on the verge of losing control again when suddenly someone cleared his throat and asked, "Am I disturbing anything?"

That new voice caused Schuldig to stop immediately. Ran opened his eyes wide, met Schu's startled gaze and then they both sat up jerkily. There, in the door to Ran's room stood Brad Crawford and looked around curiously.

* * *

Schuldig stared frozen at Brad. How did he get here? What did he want? Ok, stupid question, but why now of all moments? Couldn't Schwarz have taken a little more time before they came searching for him? Damn! He wanted to, he needed to...

Schuldig's thoughts were interrupted by a four-parted "Oracle!" and Yoji added, "Damn, how did he get inside?"

Brad watched interested how the three standing Weiß were looking around hectic for weapons and/or escapisms, and then he said, "It was quite easy. Maybe you should activate your alarm device. But that would have been useless anyway, because someone left open your front door."

Two reproachful pairs of eyes directed immediately at Ken. "What?" he asked innocently.

"You were the last one to enter, Ken!" Omi shouted.

"So what?" Ken snapped back.

"Goddamnit, Ken!" Yoji exploded, "Couldn't you just ONCE close the door behind you? How often did we tell you that? You ALWAYS leave it open!"

"That's not true at all!" Ken defended himself now. "Just because I forgot to close the door one or two times! Do you want to reproach me with it forever? Just what could happen anyway?"

"Just what could happen?" Only Omi's grab on Yoji prevented him to strangle Ken. "I tell you what could happen!" Yoji's roaring probably could be heard even some streets down. "Any old Schwarz can simply walk into our house, that can happen!"

Said old Schwarz was still leaning with crossed arms at the door frame and watched interested how the two Weiß screamed at each other while the third one tried to stop them from killing each other.

Schuldig cast a cautious look at Ran but he had buried his face in his hands and murmured something unintelligible. Schuldig caressed Ran's back with his right hand soothingly. Then he took a deep breath. "What are you doing here, Brad?" he asked with calm voice. Immediately the three squabblers fell silent, turned around and looked curiously back and forth between Schuldig and Brad.

Brad raised an eyebrow. "What I'm doing here? Well, just imagine, a member of my group hasn't been home for some days and of course I worried about him. Something could have happened to him, I thought, maybe he's lying injured in a ditch or our enemies did capture him. And really, a vision confirmed that he could be found in the headquarter of Weiß. So I hurried to rescue him but what did I see when I arrived here? He nestled in bed with one of our enemies!"

Schuldig stared at Brad astonished. If he hadn't known better he would have said that Brad tried to be sarcastic. But that was impossible, wasn't it? This was Brad after all. Schuldig tried to read Brad's thoughts but he had raised his barriers and Schuldig couldn't get through them.

Very well, then the other way. "Forget it Brad. I won't come back to Schwarz." From the corner of his eye Schuldig noticed Ran lifting his face out of his hands and looking surprised at him but he couldn't get distracted now. The argument with Brad would claim his complete concentration.

"Is that so?" Brad asked.

Schuldig nodded confirmative. "Yes. I won't come back and you can't force me to. You can try to kill me of course but don't think it will be easy," he addressed the Schwarz leader.

Brad looked at him interested for some time, then he shrugged and said, "Ok."

Five surprised pairs of eyes looked wide-eyed at Brad. Schuldig shook his head slightly. Somehow he had expected a little more resistance. "Ok?" he asked unbelieving.

"Ok," Brad repeated. "You can stay here."

"But…" Schuldig stammered completely taken by surprise. "But… What about Takatori? I don't think he'll let me go just like this."

"You don't need to worry about Takatori any more. While you were 'getting something to drink' during the last few days," Brad raised one eyebrow sarcastically, "we took care of Takatori."

"What do you mean by 'took care'?" Yoji asked.

Brad looked at him with a blank expression. "He's dead," he said.

"You killed your own employer?" Yoji asked disbelieving.

Brad shrugged. "I was tired of letting him always win at golf. Oh, and besides, he intended to get rid of us, we just beat him to it. Call it aggressive self-defence if you want."

All four Weiß members looked at him partly astonished, partly stunned.

Suddenly Brad lowered his mental shields. 'Well, it seems as if my plan worked. You established close contacts to Weiß – even though closer ones than I expected.'

Schuldig widened his eyes. "You planned everything? The drug, FlowerPower, my – hm handicap… Everything? You knew everything?"

"What did he plan? What drug? And what does it concern with FlowerPower?" Yoji called.

'Tsk Schuldig, did you have to shout it out that loud?' Brad sent Schuldig with a mental shook of his head.

/And whose fault is it that I formed a habit to speak everything out loud during the last days/ Schuldig answered him snappily.

'I never thought I would live to see that,' now Brad's thoughts definitely sounded sarcastically.

"I want some explanations this minute," they suddenly heard Ran's dangerously calm voice. "Firstly. What did you plan, Oracle? Secondly. Why did you plan it? And thirdly. Why does it have to be discussed in my bedroom of all places?" Ran's icy look had frozen everyone in the room, even Brad seemed to be a little bit intimidated by it.

"All right," he finally sighed. "I've already known for quite some time that Takatori wanted to get rid of us. Therefore I thought about what would become of Schwarz after we would dispose that problem. We're assassins after all, no one can expect us to get a boring office job or something like that. So I asked around a little and finally got an offer from Persha."

"What?" Yoji called disbelieving. "Do you seriously expect us to believe you?"

"Yoji, keep quiet," Ran interrupted him with still calm voice.

"But Ran…" Yoji protested but was effectively silenced by an icy look.

Ran turned his attention to Brad again. "Go on," he prompted him.

"I accepted that offer," Brad said.

Schuldig couldn't believe what he was hearing. /And when exactly did you want to tell us about that/ he asked angrily. Brad only cast him a short look.

"But Persha insisted on Schwarz and Weiß working together from now on," Brad continued, "and because I knew that neither Schwarz nor Weiß would be especially enthusiastic about that idea I had to come up with something. The perfect opportunity arose when Gänseblümchen," Brad grimaced at that name, "started to seize for world domination with his marionette-drug. Now I just needed to trick someone of us into working together with a Weiß member to steal the formula."

Slowly Schuldig got a terrible suspicion. "You… you knew it!" he said stunned. "You knew exactly what would happen when you sent me to fetch that stupid disk! That's why you so absolutely insisted on sending me instead of one of the others! You knew I would lose my telepathy in doing so!"

Brad nodded affirmatively.

Schuldig stared at him. "I'm going to kill him," he said monotonously and tried to climb out of the bed. But Ran laid on hand on his arm and shook his head slightly. And so Schuldig stayed where he was – even though pouting.

"Then tell me at least what was on that disk that I had to almost lose my telepathy forever to get it. And if it isn't something important you'll be sorry!" Schuldig growled with slitted eyes at Brad.

Brad's corners of his mouth raised a little bit. "Packman," he said.

"Packman?" Schuldig asked disbelieving. "PACKMAN?" For a second he just stared at Brad stunned, then he launched into his direction with a growl. "I'm going to kill him! I'm going to – let go of me, Ran, he deserves what he'll get!"

But Ran's grip around Schuldig's waist was firm like steel and some minutes of squirming and a lot of curses later Schuldig had calmed down enough that Ran could let go of him again.

Omi, whose jaw had dropped and whose eyes almost had plopped out of his head at the sight of a naked squirming Schuldig, stammered completely incoherently, "But the game has been available as shareware for a long time now…"

Schuldig shot angry looks at Brad. "Let me hurt him, Ran," he growled, "at least a little bit!"

Brad hadn't moved from his spot during the whole time, he just had raised his eyebrow and looked amused at Ran and Schuldig by turns. "Abyssinian," he said suddenly, "is that a hickey on your neck?"

Schuldig could only stare at him completely disbelieving. What was up with Brad? Did he perhaps bear suicidal thoughts?

But Ran cast Brad just an icy look. "Go on," he prompted Brad again.

Brad shrugged and said, "I saw in a vision that FlowerPower would break into your house and steal that rose."

At Brad's words Yoji, Ken and Omi looked startled at Ran. "FlowerPower did break into our house?" Omi called worried but was put off by another shake of Ran's head.

"I knew that Abyssinian would go to get his rose back," Brad continued to explain, "Now I only needed to give one of the Schwarz members a good reason to help Abyssinian with that mission. The loss of your telepathy due to the marionette-drug was the perfect reason, Schuldig. You hardly would have agreed to help Abyssinian just like this."

"But he did exactly that," Ran replied with angry voice. "Schuldig offered to help me before we knew that the drug was responsible for the loss of his telepathy."

That earned Ran four perplexed looks of Ken, Yoji, Omi and Brad and a smile of Schuldig. He liked it that his kitten stood up for him. He really liked it!

If he hadn't been still so intimidated by Ran's icy looks from a little while ago Schuldig surely would have kissed him now. But maybe Ran wouldn't be avers to it despite of those looks. Carefully he tried to enter Ran's thoughts. Schuldig frowned. That was really strange…

'Well, if I had known just how close Schwarz and Weiß would really get perhaps I would have taken it on me to make the contact,' Brad's thoughts tore Schuldig abruptly out of his musings.

"Forget it, Brad!" he hissed and wrapped his arms possessively around Ran. "That's my kitten, get one for yourself!"

Schuldig was so busy with casting angry looks at Brad that he didn't notice that Ran – instead of squirming out of the embrace – leant back in it. The other three Weiß members however did notice it and cast disbelieving looks at Ran.

"You could take Balinese there," Schuldig continued, "he thinks you to look downright cute with your glasses anyway."

Yoji gasped for breath appalled. "I don't think that at all!" he called outraged and glared angrily at Schuldig. "Just how did you get that stupid idea?"

Schuldig just snorted snidely. "Telepath!" he reminded Yoji.

"That's not true!" Yoji shouted angrily. "Ran, tell him to…"

"All right," Ran interrupted with raised voice but didn't respond to Yoji's tirades or Schuldig's comments. Instead he fixed Brad with a piercing look. "That explains what you planned and why you planned it. But you still didn't answer the most important question."

All eyes turned to Ran curiously.

"What the hell are you all doing in my bedroom?"

Uh-oh, Ran was on the verge of exploding, Schuldig could see it quite clearly. And the other seemed to know it too, because no one of them dared to move or to say something. Like frightened deer in the headlight of an oncoming car they just stared at the approaching catastrophe without being able to do anything against it.

Suddenly a cheerful voice called, "Hello-o, anyone at home?" and a second later Birman was standing in Ran's bedroom too. "Oh, there you all are, I already wondered. The front door was open so I simply entered, I hope you don't mind. Oh, I see Crawford is already here. Did he already tell you everything? From now on Schwarz is part of your group and you're going to work together, what is really necessary given the threat that FlowerPower poses…"

Finally the frozen silence of the others seemed to attract Birman's attention. Confused she let her gaze wander over Yoji, Ken and Omi, who were staring at the floor concentrated. Her eyes widened surprised when she saw Ran and Schuldig sitting in the bed and finally she looked at Brad helplessly.

"Is everything alright?" she asked but didn't get an answer. Birman seemed to feel more and more uneasy and Schuldig could read in her thoughts that she was searching for a harmless subject to break the awkward silence – that only lasted due to the hostility between the two groups in her opinion.

Finally she decided for one topic and Schuldig widened his eyes horror-stricken. But before he could do anything Birman already called, "Ran, is that a hickey on your neck?"

Several horror-stricken gasps could be heard and Schuldig closed his eyes acquiescently.

"DAMN IT, YES, THAT IS A HICKEY! IS THERE SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO SELLS TICKETS OR WHY DOES THE WHOLE WORLD SUDDENLY THINK THEY HAVE TO MARCH INTO MY BEDROOM? WAS THAT ALL NOW? OR IS SOMEONE ELSE STILL MISSING? DID YOU SEE EVERYTHING NOW? YES? GET OUT! AT ONCE! AND IF I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF JUST ONCE AGAIN YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BE VERY SORRY! GET OUT NOW! ALL OF YOU!"

Oh yes, Ran was really pissed. Extremely pissed. Schuldig could feel the repressed tremble in Ran's body. Carefully Schuldig opened his eyes again and could just catch a glimpse of Yoji, Ken and Omi taking flight, closely followed by Brad and Birman, who slammed the door behind them. What meant that he was alone with Ran now. Alone with a really angry Ran. Who just had shouted that everyone should leave his room.

Hastily Schuldig let go of Ran and started to climb out of the bed. A hand closed around his ankle and when he turned around he met Ran's unreadable look.

"Where are you going?" Ran asked with calm voice.

Schuldig swallowed. "Uhm…" he stammered, "You said that we all should get out…" He stopped helplessly, not sure what to say more.

Ran looked at him surprised. "But I didn't mean you," he said, "I told you so."

Now Schuldig stared at Ran surprised. "You did tell me that? When?"

"Well, a little while ago when I threw out the others. I thought it quite clearly. You must have read it."

"I…" Schuldig stopped confused. Why hadn't he got Ran's thoughts? He had already noticed it earlier, he hadn't caught one single thought of his kitten yet. Again he concentrated and tried to read Ran's thoughts.

"Nothing…" Schuldig murmured perplexed.

Ran looked at him questioningly. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Schuldig looked at him and said slowly, "I can't read your thoughts. Not even when I concentrate. And it doesn't feel as if I would hit some mental shield like Brad's. It's more like when I had lost my telepathy. I just can't read you."

Ran just stared at him for some time. Then a small smile crept on his face. "Really not?"

Schuldig shook his head frustrated. "No. Really not. But that's strange. Why can't I read your thoughts? Is that an after-effect of the drug? But why is it only effective with you? I don't understand it."

"And you could read the thoughts of the others?"

Schuldig nodded affirmatively and Ran shrugged, "I also don't know what could be the reason for it. That is – did you ever read my thoughts before? When we met at missions?"

Schuldig looked at him thoughtfully. "I… I don't know. I can't remember…" his voice got more and more quiet and fell silent finally while Schuldig thought. Had he ever read Ran's thoughts? He could remember no single occasion. But he should. If he had ever read Ran's thoughts then he would have remembered them. He was sure of that. And that meant…

"No, I could never read your thoughts before too," he finally said convinced, "I just never noticed it because I got all the information we needed from the other three Weiß members."

Ran still looked at him with that small smile on his face. "And is it that bad that you can't read my thoughts?" he answered.

Schuldig didn't answer right away and Ran continued, "After all, we got along really well during the last days…" Ran fell silent and lowered his gaze insecurely.

Schuldig leant forward, put a finger under Ran's chin, raised his head and kissed him lightly on his mouth. "You're right, Kätzchen," he whispered and smiled at Ran. "We get along wonderfully without telepathy as well."

"Schu…" Ran suddenly seemed to be very nervous. "I… I have to tell you something. Actually, I already wanted to tell you sooner but then the pack forayed into my room and – well," Ran smiled shortly at Schuldig, closed his eyes then and took a deep breath. "I love you," he said, opened his eyes again and looked at Schuldig anxiously.

Schuldig blinked. Ran loved him? Did he hear that right? Could it really be? Maybe he just imagined that declaration? But a look into Ran's tense face convinced him immediately. Ran loved him. His kitten loved him! With a relieved laugh Schuldig embraced Ran.

"I love you too," he whispered into Ran's neck, opened the embrace, took Ran's face into his hands and looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you, my Kätzchen," he repeated his words and saw Ran's eyes beaming happily before he closed his mouth with an affectionate kiss.

Gänseblümchen, FlowerPower, Brad's sneaky methods, the cooperation of Schwarz and Weiß, Schuldig didn't care at all for it at that moment. Ran loved him and that was all that counted. Life was just wonderful! And it would only get better in future! Happily he embraced Ran again and buried his face in his shoulder.

"But Schu," he heard Ran's muffled voice after some time, "don't believe that I already forgave you for the 'Fleißiges Lieschen'!"

Schuldig grinned. Oh yes, his future promised to get really interesting.

The End – or is it?


End file.
